William Blackwell (July 24, 1850 – December 30, 1937) was a Canadian architect active in

Peterborough, Ontario Peterborough ( ) is a city on the Otonabee River in Ontario, Canada, about 125 kilometres (78 miles) northeast of Toronto. According to the 2021 Census, the population of the City of Peterborough was 83,651. The population of the Peterborough ...

, for over 40 years. He was among the first architects to use the Romanesque Revival style in Ontario.

Early life and education

Blackwell was born in Douro Township, in a house that is now 1066 Armour Road in

. His father, James Blackwell, emigrated from

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

in 1815 and initially settled in Ops Township before moving to Douro. His mother, Frances Reid, was the daughter of Robert Reid, one of the original settlers of Douro Township. Blackwell articled with his cousin, Toronto architect

Walter Strickland Walter Strickland (1598? – 1 November 1671) was an English politician and diplomat who held high office during the Protectorate. Biography Strickland was the younger son of Walter Strickland of Boynton. His elder brother, William, was kn ...

, then worked in

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

and

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before setting up his practice in Peterborough in 1880.

Career

Blackwell set up his own practice in 1880. He was an early proponent of the Romanesque Revival style. He designed many landmark residences and public buildings in Peterborough and the surrounding area, often in the Romanesque Revival style. He oversaw repairs to the County Court House after it was damaged by the

Quaker Oats The Quaker Oats Company, known as Quaker, is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001. History Precursor miller companies In the 1850s, Ferdinand Schumacher and Robert Stuart founded oat mills. S ...

factory fire in 1916. In 1919, Blackwell was joined in his practice by his son, Walter R. L. Blackwell. Blackwell retired from the firm in 1930. W.R.L. Blackwell was joined by James S. Craig in 1945 and

Eberhard Zeidler Eberhard Zeidler may refer to: * Eberhard Zeidler (architect), Eberhard Heinrich Zeidler (1926–2022), German-Canadian architect * Eberhard Zeidler (mathematician), Eberhard Hermann Erich Zeidler (1940–2016), German mathematician {{hndis, Zeidl ...

in 1953. Under Zeidler, the firm eventually evolved into the internationally renowned

Zeidler Architecture Zeidler Architecture is an international architecture, interior design, urban design, and master planning firm with four Canadian offices located in Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, and Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria. In addition, the firm has ...

. Blackwell died in Peterborough on December 30, 1937. His wife, Maude Annie Hales, who he married in 1884, remained in the house he designed on Benson Avenue until her own death in 1952.

Notable works

* Nicholls Hospital,

, 1888 (demolished 1981) * Hartstone House, Peterborough, Ontario, 1888 * Academy Theatre,

Lindsay, Ontario Lindsay is a community of 22 367 people (2021 Canadian Census, 2021 census) on the Scugog River in the Kawartha Lakes (Ontario), Kawartha Lakes region of south-eastern Ontario, Canada. It is approximately west of Peterborough, Ontario, Peterboro ...

, 1893 *

Young Men's Christian Association YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...

, Peterborough, Ontario, 1896 *

Young Women's Christian Association The Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) is a nonprofit organization with a focus on empowerment, leadership, and rights of women, young women, and girls in more than 100 countries. The World office is currently based in Geneva, Swi ...

, Peterborough, Ontario, 1904–05 (destroyed by fire 1996) * King Edward Public School, Peterborough, Ontario, 1906 (demolished 2005) * King George Public School, Peterborough, Ontario, 1913 * Queen Mary Public School, Peterborough, Ontario, 1913 * Bonner Worth Mill Administration Building, Peterborough, Ontario, 1919–20

Gallery

File:Harstone House, 565 Water Street corner of London and Water St..jpg, Hartstone House File:YMCA from City Hall.jpg, Peterborough YMCA File:Bonner Worth Mill Administration Building.jpg, Bonner Worth Mill Administration Building

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blackwell (architect), William 1850 births 1937 deaths 19th-century Canadian architects 20th-century Canadian architects Romanesque Revival architects People from Peterborough County Canadian people of English descent