John A. Pearson
John A. Pearson | |
---|---|
Born |
June 22, 1867 Chesterfield, England |
Died |
June 11, 1940 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Nationality | Canadian |
Occupation | Architect |
Practice | Pearson and Darling |
John Andrew Pearson (June 22, 1867 – June 11, 1940) was an early 20th-century Canadian architect and partner to the Toronto-based firm of Pearson and Darling.
Early life and education
Pearson was born in Chesterfield, UK, and emigrated to Canada in 1888 as a young man.
Career
Pearson worked for Henry Sproatt beginning in 1890, and joined Darling, Curry, Sproatt, & Pearson in 1892, with fellow partners Frank Darling and S. George Curry. Curry departed, and from 1893 through 1896 that office was known as Darling, Sproatt & Pearson.
In 1896 Sproatt left the partnership, and the firm was renamed Pearson and Darling. This partnership lasted from 1897 through Pearson's death in 1940.[1]
Pearson was the first Vice-President of Ontario Association of Architects (1902).
Pearson's most significant project apart from this partnership is undoubtedly the Centre Block on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, a complex that contains the Canadian House of Commons and Senate of Canada, and the adjoining Peace Tower.
The previous Centre Block burned in 1916, entirely destroyed except for the Library of Parliament. By 1920 the Centre Block was rebuilt with a design by Pearson and collaborator Jean Omer Marchand of Montreal. The Peace Tower commemorating the end of the First World War was completed in 1927.[2]
In 1928 Pearson was commissioned to design a building to house the head office of the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Toronto. The 34-story building was completed in 1931 in spite of the onset of the Great Depression, and at the time was the tallest building in the British Empire.[1]
Death
Pearson died in Toronto in 1940, aged 72. He is buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery.
Works
Building | Year Completed | Builder | Style | Source | Location | Image |
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University of Toronto Faculty of Law Flavelle House | 1901 | John A. Pearson & Frank Darling | Romanesque Revival architecture | University of Toronto St. George campus, Toronto, Ontario | ||
Convocation Hall | 1906 | John A. Pearson & Frank Darling | Romanesque Revival architecture | University of Toronto St. George campus, Toronto, Ontario | ||
University of Toronto Sanford Fleming Building | 1907 | John A. Pearson & Frank Darling | Romanesque Revival architecture | 10 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario | ||
University of Toronto Sigmund Samuel Building | 1907 | John A. Pearson & Frank Darling | Romanesque Revival architecture | 10 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario | ||
University of Toronto Sigmund Samuel Building additions | 1912 | John A. Pearson & Frank Darling | Romanesque Revival architecture | 7 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario | ||
Toronto General Hospital- College Wing | 1913 | John A. Pearson & Frank Darling | Romanesque Revival architecture | 101 College Street, Toronto, Ontario | ||
Centre Block containing Canadian House of Commons, Senate of Canada, Peace Tower, | 1920 | John A. Pearson & Jean Omer Marchand | Romanesque Revival architecture | Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario |
See also
- Henry Sproatt - partnered with Pearson from 1890 to 1896
References
- 1 2 "Once Upon A City: Creating Toronto’s skyline". Toronto Star, March 27, 2016, Janice Bradbeer.
- ↑ Pound, Richard W. (2005). 'Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates'. Fitzhenry and Whiteside.
External links
- JA Pearson
- John A Pearson at The Canadian Encyclopedia
- Pearson and Darling
- Historic Places in Canada
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