Edward Maxwell (31 December 1867 – 14 November 1923) was a prominent Canadian architect.

Life and career

The son of Edward John Maxwell, a lumber dealer in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

, by his marriage to Johanna MacBean, Maxwell graduated from the

High School of Montreal The High School of Montreal was an English-language high school founded in 1843, serving Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the area eventually known as the Golden Square Mile. It was less formally known as Montreal High School and from 1853 to 1870 was ...

at the age of fourteen and was apprenticed to the firm of

Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge was a successful architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, operating between 1886 and 1915, with extensive commissions in monumental civic, religious, and collegiate architecture in the spirit and style of Henry ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. In 1891, the firm was instructed to design a new building for the

Montreal Board of Trade Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

. Maxwell returned home to Montreal to supervise its construction, helped by having good relations with influential members of the Board. In 1892, the jeweller

Henry Birks Henry Birks (30 November 1840 – 16 April 1928) was a Canadian businessman and founder of Henry Birks and Sons, a chain of high-end Canadian jewellery stores. He was born to English immigrants from Yorkshire, England. His parents moved to Ca ...

hired Maxwell to design a new store in Montreal's

Phillips Square , photo = Phillips Square, Montreal, Sep 06 2022.jpg , photo_width = , photo_caption = , map = Canada Montreal , map_width = , type = Town square , location = Downtown Montreal, Ville-Marie Montreal, Quebec, Canada , nearest_city = , ...

. Maxwell also designed several stations and hotels for the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

, including the West Vancouver station (1897) and the

McAdam station McAdam station is a former railway station that dominates the village of McAdam, New Brunswick, Canada. The station is the largest passenger station in the province but since the December 17, 1994, abandonment of Via Rail's ''Atlantic'' passenger ...

(1900). In 1899, he designed a country house for

Louis-Joseph Forget Louis-Joseph Forget (March 11, 1853 – April 7, 1911) was a Canadian businessman and politician. Life and career Born in Terrebonne, Canada East, he was a stockbroker and then founded his own brokerage firm, ''L. J. Forget et Compagnie'', in ...

Senneville, Quebec Senneville () is an affluent on-island suburban village on the western tip of the Island of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the wealthiest town in the West Island. Situated close to the city of Montreal, it was historically a popular location fo ...

, a good example of his domestic work.Edward and William Maxwell
at

The Canadian Encyclopedia ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (TCE; french: L'Encyclopédie canadienne) is the national encyclopedia of Canada, published online by the Toronto-based historical organization Historica Canada, with the support of Canadian Heritage. Available fo ...

, accessed August 27, 2019 In 1902, he went into partnership with his younger brother,

William Sutherland Maxwell William Sutherland Maxwell (November 14, 1874 – March 25, 1952) was a well-known Canadian architect and a Hand of the Cause in the Baháʼí Faith. He was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada to parents Edward John Maxwell and Johan MacBean. Life ...

, who had studied at the

École des beaux-arts École des Beaux-Arts (; ) refers to a number of influential art schools in France. The term is associated with the Beaux-Arts style in architecture and city planning that thrived in France and other countries during the late nineteenth century ...

in Paris. In 1903, he was elected to the

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor General ...

Selected buildings

Lady Meredith House Lady Meredith House, also known as the H. Vincent Meredith Residence, is a historic mansion located at 1110 Pine Avenue West on the corner of Peel Street, in what is today known as the Golden Square Mile of Montreal, Quebec. It was originally n ...

at 1110

Pine Avenue Pine Avenue (french: avenue des Pins) is an east–west street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This street serves as the dividing line between the downtown Ville-Marie borough and borough of Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, and also serves as the northern ...

West, Montreal (1894) * Royal St. Lawrence Yacht Club – clubhouse (1895) *

London and Lancashire Life Building, Montreal The London and Lancashire Life Building was built in 1898 by the architect Edward Maxwell for the London and Lancashire Life Association of Scotland. The Beaux-Arts structure was later used as the head office for Lord Beaverbrook, the New Brunswi ...

(1898) *Vancouver CPR depot (1898–1914) *

(1900) * Charles Meredith House at 1130 Pine Avenue West, Montreal (1904) *

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA; french: Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal, MBAM) is an art museum in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is the largest art museum in Canada by gallery space. The museum is located on the historic Golden Square ...

(1910) File:Residence H-Vincent-Meredith 01.jpg,

(1894) File:Vancouver CPR depot (HS85-10-24306).jpg, Vancouver CPR depot (1898–1914) File:McGill University downtown campus 26.JPG, Charles Meredith House (1904)

Notes

External links

Biography of Edward Maxwell
– at McGill.ca
Edward Maxwell's CPR Depot (1898–1914)
– at Vimeo.com
Outline of Edward Maxwell's life
– ''Répertoire du patrimoine culturel du Québec'' (in French)
Maxwelton
– Maxwell's farmhouse (between Oakridge and Calais streets in

Baie-D'Urfé Baie-D'Urfé (; previously Baie d'Urfé or Baie d'Urfee) is an on-island suburb of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is part of the West Island area of the Island of Montreal. As part of the 2002–2006 municipal reorganization of Montreal, Baie-D'Ur ...

, Quebec)
Tillietudlem
– Maxwell's summer residence (at 434 Bar Road in St. Andrews, New Brunswick) {{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Edward 1867 births 1923 deaths Canadian architects High School of Montreal alumni