Martin
New Member
A 23-unit condominium conversion of the Herkimer Apartments which were designed by William Palmer Witton and completed in 1915. Located in the historic Durand neighbourhood.
http://www.herkimeratbay.com/flash.html
Photo by flar
HIStory + HERitage exhibition on William Palmer Witton
http://www.historyandheritage.ca/exhibits/2009/6/12/william-palmer-witton-architect.html
H Magazine article on William Palmer Witton
http://www.new.hmag.ca/?p=197
William Palmer Witton – A Hamiltonian’s Remarkable Architectural Legacy
Posted By admin On July 25, 2009 @ 11:52 am In Architecture, Design, History | No Comments
By Graham Crawford
James Balfour. John Lyle. If you’re at all interested in Hamilton’s heritage architecture, you probably recognize the names of these two well-regarded architects. You may not, however, be as familiar with the name of architect William Palmer Witton. Most people, as it turns out, don’t know Witton’s name. But, you can count on the fact most people are familiar with his architecture.
The James Street Armouries. The Herkimer Apartments. The Central Fire Hall on John Street. The original Mountain Hospital (now the Henderson) and its power plant built in to the side of the escarpment. The Earl Kitchener School on Dundurn. The big white house on Ravenscliffe that was once home to the Bank of Montreal’s area manager. They’re all Witton designs. So too is the amazing MacIlraith School on Murray Street West (now Mission Services). The quirky Playhouse Theatre on Sherman Ave. North. And what is now the Vasco da Gama Club on James North (originally the Loyal Orange Men’s Society Hall). The list of his work is extensive.
Born in Hamilton in 1871, Witton would become what some might call a “society†architect, such was his clientele. As a young man, Witton went to the Hamilton Art School, which was housed in what would become known locally as the Birk’s Building. Future architect John Lyle was a student in the same class. In 1892, Witton moved to Chicago to work at the firm of Adler & Sullivan, the same firm where Frank Lloyd Wright began his career. After working under Louis Sullivan, who was trained at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Witton learned about design and engineering, both of which he combined with great success when he returned to Hamilton in 1895 to practice architecture.
He spent the beginning and end of his career in private practice. There were two partners in between. Walter Stewart from 1904 until Stewart’s death at the battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917 during the First World War. Then, Wiliam Walsh from 1920 to 1927, when Walsh left to open his own firm. Witton practiced architecture in Hamilton for over 50 years, until his death in 1947 at the age of 76.
Over that time, schools, churches, hospitals, commercial buildings, and many dozens of residences were designed by Witton and his partners. Today, many of them still stand, and are counted among Hamilton’s fine heritage architecture.
- – - -
If you’d like to learn more about William Palmer Witton, Hamilton HIStory + HERitage is featuring a mutli-media exhibition on Witton’s career. The exhibition is based on the remarkably thorough research of Robert Hamilton, who has spent a number of years as the chairperson of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, Hamilton Chapter. Robert will also be conducting an illustrated H+HTalk at HIStory + HERitage on Saturday, July 11 at 1:00 p.m. Admission is free. Seating is limited. There’s also an interview with Robert on the H+H website [1] about his research into Witton’s career. The website also features a listing, including dates and addresses, of every building Witton designed.
Hamilton Spectator article on William Palmer Witton
http://www.thespec.com/article/597621
The architect no one knows
Meet William Palmer Witton, the man behind some of Hamilton's finest buildings
PAUL WILSON
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jul 10, 2009)
You know his work, but not his name.
William Palmer Witton, born in Hamilton in 1871, was an architect here for half a century. He had a hand in designing scores of buildings, most still with us -- hospitals, schools, churches, some of the finest houses in the city.
Some would call him a "society" architect. To see why, stroll up Ravenscliffe Avenue, that privileged place off Aberdeen.
To your right, at No. 6, a white Spanish-style mansion where the Bank of Montreal housed its top executive. Across the road, and positively grand, too, is No. 7, designed for Witton's brother Harry.
But you can enjoy Witton's work on James Street North as well.
Stand in the shadow of the colossus that is the Armoury, the one where they built a parade square that was biggest in the land. Witton had a hand in this.
Turn around and appreciate the intricate art of the Vasco da Gama club. When Witton put his hand to this, it was the Loyal Orange Lodge.
Now walk a few doors down to HIStory + HERitage, the storefront museum Graham Crawford opened a couple of years ago. He was born in Hamilton, made some money in Toronto, retired back here, and bought a skinny Chinese bakery. He lined the walls with large flat-screen monitors and puts on free multimedia shows year round.
And right now it's one on the world of Witton.
This wasn't Crawford's idea. He knows plenty about the buildings in this city, but admits he'd never heard of Witton.
Then he got talking to Rob Hamilton, researcher, librarian and lover of architecture.
And Hamilton, it turns out, has been poking away at the story of Witton since the early '90s.
He got curious about the Herkimer Apartments, Herkimer and Bay. When the building opened in 1915, with monthly rents of $75 to $90, it offered the finest apartments in town.
Each suite had two doors, one leading to a formal foyer, the other to the maid's quarters.
And while the rest of the city still relied on the ice man, at the Herkimer they had something called refrigeration. A large unit in the basement pumped cold to ice boxes in every unit.
Nearly a hundred years later, there's still a waiting list to get in. And it's a building where Witton left his mark.
So Hamilton continued to research this man. He handed that work to Crawford, who's now shaped it into an 18-minute show that runs on his museum screens.
And tomorrow at the museum, Hamilton will speak about the architect no one knows.
Witton, son of a carriage tradesman who became an MP, went off to Chicago and trained under famed architect Louis Sullivan.
Witton returned to Hamilton in 1895, age 24. One of his early commissions was a six-storey home for The Spectator on James between King and Main, an empty lot today.
At first Witton worked alone. Then he partnered with Walter Stewart, who died in the battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. In the 1920s, Witton worked with William Walsh.
Some buildings with the Witton touch: McIlwraith school on Murray Street, where a strange crew of stone children decorates the front wall; Central Fire Station, John North; Bank of Montreal, still there 100 years later at Barton and Victoria; Earl Kitchener School, Dundurn South; Playhouse Theatre, still a quirky fixture on Sherman North; St. Giles United Church, commanding a block on Main East; the Mountain Hospital, later the Henderson, complete with power plant neatly tucked into the side of the escarpment.
As for houses, there's 193 James South, 15 Charlton West, 265 Robinson and a hundred more. At 276 Aberdeen there is the yellow-brick mansion built for Colonel Walter Bruce in 1914. Peer down the drive and see the city's finest coach house -- same beautiful brick, leaded windows, wrought iron trim.
Witton was a bachelor. In later years he became profoundly deaf. But at his home at 290 Hess South, he had the comfort of a 500-book library of architecture and Canadiana. That collection is now at McMaster. Witton died in 1947, age 76.
The free illustrated talk is at 1 p.m. tomorrow at HIStory + HERitage, 165 James North. You can view the Witton video there until Aug. 14. The museum is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. And of course, it's open tonight, this being the second Friday of the month -- and time for the James North Art Crawl.
StreetBeat appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
pwilson@thespec.com
905-526-3241
http://www.herkimeratbay.com/flash.html
Photo by flar
HIStory + HERitage exhibition on William Palmer Witton
http://www.historyandheritage.ca/exhibits/2009/6/12/william-palmer-witton-architect.html
H Magazine article on William Palmer Witton
http://www.new.hmag.ca/?p=197
William Palmer Witton – A Hamiltonian’s Remarkable Architectural Legacy
Posted By admin On July 25, 2009 @ 11:52 am In Architecture, Design, History | No Comments
By Graham Crawford
James Balfour. John Lyle. If you’re at all interested in Hamilton’s heritage architecture, you probably recognize the names of these two well-regarded architects. You may not, however, be as familiar with the name of architect William Palmer Witton. Most people, as it turns out, don’t know Witton’s name. But, you can count on the fact most people are familiar with his architecture.
The James Street Armouries. The Herkimer Apartments. The Central Fire Hall on John Street. The original Mountain Hospital (now the Henderson) and its power plant built in to the side of the escarpment. The Earl Kitchener School on Dundurn. The big white house on Ravenscliffe that was once home to the Bank of Montreal’s area manager. They’re all Witton designs. So too is the amazing MacIlraith School on Murray Street West (now Mission Services). The quirky Playhouse Theatre on Sherman Ave. North. And what is now the Vasco da Gama Club on James North (originally the Loyal Orange Men’s Society Hall). The list of his work is extensive.
Born in Hamilton in 1871, Witton would become what some might call a “society†architect, such was his clientele. As a young man, Witton went to the Hamilton Art School, which was housed in what would become known locally as the Birk’s Building. Future architect John Lyle was a student in the same class. In 1892, Witton moved to Chicago to work at the firm of Adler & Sullivan, the same firm where Frank Lloyd Wright began his career. After working under Louis Sullivan, who was trained at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Witton learned about design and engineering, both of which he combined with great success when he returned to Hamilton in 1895 to practice architecture.
He spent the beginning and end of his career in private practice. There were two partners in between. Walter Stewart from 1904 until Stewart’s death at the battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917 during the First World War. Then, Wiliam Walsh from 1920 to 1927, when Walsh left to open his own firm. Witton practiced architecture in Hamilton for over 50 years, until his death in 1947 at the age of 76.
Over that time, schools, churches, hospitals, commercial buildings, and many dozens of residences were designed by Witton and his partners. Today, many of them still stand, and are counted among Hamilton’s fine heritage architecture.
- – - -
If you’d like to learn more about William Palmer Witton, Hamilton HIStory + HERitage is featuring a mutli-media exhibition on Witton’s career. The exhibition is based on the remarkably thorough research of Robert Hamilton, who has spent a number of years as the chairperson of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, Hamilton Chapter. Robert will also be conducting an illustrated H+HTalk at HIStory + HERitage on Saturday, July 11 at 1:00 p.m. Admission is free. Seating is limited. There’s also an interview with Robert on the H+H website [1] about his research into Witton’s career. The website also features a listing, including dates and addresses, of every building Witton designed.
Hamilton Spectator article on William Palmer Witton
http://www.thespec.com/article/597621
The architect no one knows
Meet William Palmer Witton, the man behind some of Hamilton's finest buildings
PAUL WILSON
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jul 10, 2009)
You know his work, but not his name.
William Palmer Witton, born in Hamilton in 1871, was an architect here for half a century. He had a hand in designing scores of buildings, most still with us -- hospitals, schools, churches, some of the finest houses in the city.
Some would call him a "society" architect. To see why, stroll up Ravenscliffe Avenue, that privileged place off Aberdeen.
To your right, at No. 6, a white Spanish-style mansion where the Bank of Montreal housed its top executive. Across the road, and positively grand, too, is No. 7, designed for Witton's brother Harry.
But you can enjoy Witton's work on James Street North as well.
Stand in the shadow of the colossus that is the Armoury, the one where they built a parade square that was biggest in the land. Witton had a hand in this.
Turn around and appreciate the intricate art of the Vasco da Gama club. When Witton put his hand to this, it was the Loyal Orange Lodge.
Now walk a few doors down to HIStory + HERitage, the storefront museum Graham Crawford opened a couple of years ago. He was born in Hamilton, made some money in Toronto, retired back here, and bought a skinny Chinese bakery. He lined the walls with large flat-screen monitors and puts on free multimedia shows year round.
And right now it's one on the world of Witton.
This wasn't Crawford's idea. He knows plenty about the buildings in this city, but admits he'd never heard of Witton.
Then he got talking to Rob Hamilton, researcher, librarian and lover of architecture.
And Hamilton, it turns out, has been poking away at the story of Witton since the early '90s.
He got curious about the Herkimer Apartments, Herkimer and Bay. When the building opened in 1915, with monthly rents of $75 to $90, it offered the finest apartments in town.
Each suite had two doors, one leading to a formal foyer, the other to the maid's quarters.
And while the rest of the city still relied on the ice man, at the Herkimer they had something called refrigeration. A large unit in the basement pumped cold to ice boxes in every unit.
Nearly a hundred years later, there's still a waiting list to get in. And it's a building where Witton left his mark.
So Hamilton continued to research this man. He handed that work to Crawford, who's now shaped it into an 18-minute show that runs on his museum screens.
And tomorrow at the museum, Hamilton will speak about the architect no one knows.
Witton, son of a carriage tradesman who became an MP, went off to Chicago and trained under famed architect Louis Sullivan.
Witton returned to Hamilton in 1895, age 24. One of his early commissions was a six-storey home for The Spectator on James between King and Main, an empty lot today.
At first Witton worked alone. Then he partnered with Walter Stewart, who died in the battle of Vimy Ridge in 1917. In the 1920s, Witton worked with William Walsh.
Some buildings with the Witton touch: McIlwraith school on Murray Street, where a strange crew of stone children decorates the front wall; Central Fire Station, John North; Bank of Montreal, still there 100 years later at Barton and Victoria; Earl Kitchener School, Dundurn South; Playhouse Theatre, still a quirky fixture on Sherman North; St. Giles United Church, commanding a block on Main East; the Mountain Hospital, later the Henderson, complete with power plant neatly tucked into the side of the escarpment.
As for houses, there's 193 James South, 15 Charlton West, 265 Robinson and a hundred more. At 276 Aberdeen there is the yellow-brick mansion built for Colonel Walter Bruce in 1914. Peer down the drive and see the city's finest coach house -- same beautiful brick, leaded windows, wrought iron trim.
Witton was a bachelor. In later years he became profoundly deaf. But at his home at 290 Hess South, he had the comfort of a 500-book library of architecture and Canadiana. That collection is now at McMaster. Witton died in 1947, age 76.
The free illustrated talk is at 1 p.m. tomorrow at HIStory + HERitage, 165 James North. You can view the Witton video there until Aug. 14. The museum is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. And of course, it's open tonight, this being the second Friday of the month -- and time for the James North Art Crawl.
StreetBeat appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
pwilson@thespec.com
905-526-3241
