STEWART, Walter Wilson (1871-1917), the son of William Stewart, a leading architect in Hamilton, Ont. in the last decades of the nineteenth century. Born in Covington, Kentucky, USA in 1871, Walter W. was brought to Canada as an infant and received his early education in Toronto. The family moved to Hamilton in 1885 and Walter served an apprenticeship under his father. In 1893 he was invited by him to form a partnership, and their firm then evolved in the following sequence:
William Stewart & Walter Stewart, Hamilton, 1893-1904
Stewart & Witton, Hamilton, April 1904-17 (with Walter Stewart and William P. Witton)
Stewart, Witton & Taylor, (with Walter Stewart & William P. Witton, and with a branch office of the Hamilton firm, located in Brantford, April 1904-1906)
Much of his early work, executed in collaboration with his father, was designed in a High Victorian style, but by the turn of the century the influence of the younger Stewart was evident in the designs for institutional, commercial and ecclesiastical works not only in Hamilton but as far away as Stratford, Collingwood and Toronto. When William Stewart retired from practise in April 1904, a new partnership was announced between Walter W. and William P. Witton, a bright young Hamilton architect who had trained in Chicago with the leading firm of Adler & Sullivan Architects before returning to Canada in 1895 (Spectator [Hamilton], 23 April 1904, 1). Buoyed by the success of their business, they opened a branch office in Brantford, in collaboration with Lewis H. Taylor, who conducted the affairs of the local office there, leaving Stewart & Witton to concentrate on the Hamilton commissions. Within ten years, their office completed more than fifty projects for schools, office buildings, churches and residences in and around Hamilton. One of the employees in their office was John Burton, an architecture student and a young air pilot who made one of the first aircraft flights in Ontario in 1909 (Evening Times (Hamilton), 19 May 1909, 1, descrip.; inf. Robert Hamilton).
In April 1915 Stewart left for England to participate in military training with the Royal 13th Regiment, and later attained the rank of Lieut. Colonel of the 86th Gun Battalion. His promising career was cut short on 17 April 1917 when he was killed in action in France during WWI while directing front line combat. Stewart was buried in France, and left an estate valued at $76,000.00 (obit. Spectator [Hamilton], 19 April 1917, 1; obit. & port in The Globe [Toronto], 20 April 1917, 2; obit. and port. Const., x, May 1917, 181; C.R., xxxi, 25 April 1917, 385; Building News [London], cxii, 23 May 1917, 451; biog. Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, 1991, ii, 155-56). A photographic portrait of Stewart appeared in The Contract Record, xxx, 22 March 1916, 296. The Special Collections Division of the Hamilton Public Library also holds two photographic portraits of this architect.
STEWART, WITTON & TAYLOR (works in Brantford & region)
BRANTFORD, ONT., office and residence for Dr. T.H. Beir, Wellington Street, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 5 April 1905, 5)
CALEDONIA, ONT., residence for Eldoras Todd, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 5 April 1905, 5)
WROXETER, ONT., new School, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 5 April 1905, 5)
CLINTON, ONT., factory for Clinton Knitting Co., 1905 (C.R., xvi, 12 July 1905, 4, t.c.)
BRANTFORD, ONT., factory and molding shop for W.B. Burrill Foundry Co., Grey Street, 1906 (Brantford Weekly Expositor, 22 March 1906, 11, descrip.; C.R., xvii, 28 March 1906, 2; inf. Robert Hamilton)
BRANTFORD, ONT., major additions to Huron Street Public School, 1906 (Brantford Daily Expositor, 26 May 1906, 2, t.c.; and 25 Aug. 1906, 7, descrip; C.R., xvii, 6 June 1906, 4, t.c.; Daily Standard [St. Catharines], 17 Sept. 1906, 8, illus. & descrip.)
GUELPH, ONT., Delhi Street, pair of houses for Miss Davies, 1906 (Guelph Weekly Mercury, 11 Oct. 1906, 6)
STEWART & WITTON (Residential works in Hamilton)
WENTWORTH STREET SOUTH, near Aikman Street, residence for Mrs. K.V. Oaten, 1904; still standing in 2023 (Spectator (Hamilton), 13 May 1904, 10; Evening Times [Hamilton], 13 May 1904, 12; inf. Robert Hamilton)
PEARL STREET NORTH, near King Street West, residence for Thomas C. Binkley, 1905; still standing in 2022 (C.R., xvi, 8 March 1905, 6; Evening Times [Hamilton], 17 March 1905, 12; inf. Robert Hamilton)
CAROLINE STREET SOUTH, near Robinson Street, residence for Frederick Ford, 1905; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 17 March 1905, 12; inf. Robert Hamilton)
MAIN STREET EAST, at Spring Street, residence for Joseph L. Cherrier, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 8 March 1905, 6)
HERKIMER STREET WEST, near Kent Street, residence for Maj. Edward G. Zealand, 1905; still standing in 2022 (C.R., xvi, 8 March 1905, 6; Evening Times [Hamilton], 17 March 1905, 12; inf. Robert Hamilton)
NIGHTINGALE STREET, near Ashley Street, residence for Robert Robertson, 1905; still standing in 2023 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 4 March 1905, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
WENTWORTH STREET SOUTH, residence for Robert A. Thompson, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 8 March 1905, 6)
ERIE AVENUE, near Tisdale Street South, two identical houses for Miss M. Elder, 1905; still standing in 2023 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 8 May 1905, 10; inf. Robert Hamilton)
VINE STREET near MacNab Street North, residence for John Hill, 1905; demol. (Evening Times [Hamilton], 8 May 1905, 10; inf. Robert Hamilton)
EAST AVENUE NORTH, near King William Street, residence for W.M. Steedman, 1905; still standing in 2023 (Evening Times (Hamilton), 30 May 1905, 8; Spectator (Hamilton), 30 May 1905 10; inf. Robert Hamilton)
FLORENCE STREET, near Pearl Street North, residence for John P. Hennessey, 1905; still standing in 2023, but altered (Evening Times [Hamilton], 26 Aug. 1905, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
SHERMAN AVENUE NORTH, at King Street East, residence for Samuel Landers, 1905; demol. (Evening Times [Hamilton], 17 Oct. 1905, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
BAY STREET SOUTH, at Duke Street, residence for Dr. Algernon Woolverton, 1906 (C.R., xvi, 21 Feb. 1906, 4)
WELLINGTON STREET NORTH, at Evans Street, three houses for Joseph Farmer, 1906 (C.R., xvi, 21 Feb. 1906, 4)
FAIRLEIGH AVENUE SOUTH, near Main Street East, residence for William N. Tallman, 1906; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 10 March 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
KING STREET EAST, at St. Clair Avenue, large 3 storey residence for William R. Hardy, 1906; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 30 March 1906, 5; inf. Robert Hamilton)
GARTH STREET SOUTH, at Aberdeen Avenue, residence for William Gastle, 1906 (Spectator [Hamilton], 30 May 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ABERDEEN AVENUE, between Kent Street and Queen Street, residence for Kirwan Martin, 1906 (Spectator [Hamilton], 23 Jan 1906, 1 and 8; Evening Times (Hamilton), 23 Jan. 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
MacNAB STREET NORTH, at Barton Street North, residence for Albert E. Phoenix, 1906; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 23 June 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
JOHN STREET NORTH, near Robert Street, residence for E.M. Whitby, 1906; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 23 June 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
MAIN STREET EAST, near Spring Street, residence for Mrs. John A. Bauer, 1906; demol. (Evening Times [Hamilton], 30 Aug. 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
MARKLAND STREET, near Park Street South, large 3 storey residence for William J. Southam, 1907; still standing in 2023 (Spectator (Hamilton), 15 April 1907; Evening Times [Hamilton], 15 April 1907, 1; inf. Robert Hamilton)
HERKIMER STREET, at Caroline Street South, residence for William Malcolm, 1908; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 24 April 1908, 5; inf. Robert Hamilton)
HERKIMER STREET, near Locke Street South, residence for William R. Harper, 1908; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times (Hamilton), 2 June 1908, 1 & 5; inf. Robert Hamilton)
BARTON STREET EAST, near Emerald Street, residence for Dr. Adam E. Hilker, 1909; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times (Hamilton), 15 July 1909, 1; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ABERDEEN AVENUE, residence for R.B. Griffiths, 1909 (Spectator [Hamilton], 21 July 1909, 1; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ABERDEEN AVENUE, residence for Alex G. Osborne, 1909 (Spectator [Hamilton], 21 July 1909, 1; inf. Robert Hamilton)
HOMEWOOD AVENUE, near Kent Street, residence for John Gray, 1909; still standing in 2022 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 28 July 1909, 10; inf. Robert Hamilton)
RAVENSCLIFFE AVENUE, residence for Reginald R. Wallace, Manager of the Bank of Montreal, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 7 June 1911, 61)
SHERMAN AVENUE SOUTH, near Cumberland Avenue, residence for Charles Gardiner, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 21 Feb. 1912, 65)
RAVENSCLIFFE AVENUE, residence for Henry B. Witton, c. 1912 (inf. from Arthur Wallace, Hamilton)
HERKIMER APARTMENTS, Bay Street South at Herkimer Street, 1914 (C.R., xxviii, 1 April 1914, 81)
HAMPTON COURT APARTMENTS, East Avenue North at King William Street, 1914-15 (C.R., xxviii, 21 Oct. 1914, 63, t.c.)
STEWART & WITTON (Institutional & Ecclesiastical works in Hamilton)
ORANGE HALL, James Street North at Mulberry Street, 1904-05 (Spectator [Hamilton], 29 Nov. 1904, 1, descrip.; and 12 Aug. 1905, 1, illus. & descrip.; C.R., xvi, 8 March 1905, 6; inf. Robert Hamilton)
ARMOURY, James Street North at Robert Street, new facade and major addition, designed 1904; built 1906-07 (Spectator [Hamilton], 15 June 1904, 5; C.R., xvi, 2 Aug. 1905, 4; and xvii, 15 Aug. 1906, 5; Canada, Sessional Papers, No. 19, 1908, 19-20, descrip.; Mark Osbaldeston, Unbuilt Hamilton, 2016, 84, illus.)
ST. ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Barton Street East at Smith Avenue, addition, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 14 March 1906, 3)
WENTWORTH STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL, addition, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 9 May 1906, 4, t.c.)
POLICE STATION NO. 3, King William Street at Mary Street, designed 1906; built 1910 (C.R., xvii, 17 Oct. 1906, 2, t.c.; Spectator [Hamilton], 21 Feb. 1910, 5, illus.)
HERKIMER STREET BAPTIST CHURCH, Locke Street South at Melbourne Street, 1907 (C.A.B., xx, June 1907, 103)
PICTON PUBLIC SCHOOL, Catharine Street North at Picton Street North, addition, 1908; addition 1920 (inf. from Hamilton Public Board)
SOPHIA PUBLIC SCHOOL, Strathcona Avenue North at Lamoreaux Street, addition 1908 (inf. from Hamilton Public School Board)
ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH, Queen Street South at King Street West, major addition, 1909; demol. 2016 (Evening Times [Hamilton], 21 July 1909, 10; inf. Robert Hamilton)
GIBSON SCHOOL, Barton Street East at Gibson Avenue, addition, 1909; addition 1913 (inf. Hamilton Public School Board)
I.O.O.F. TEMPLE, Gore Street, east of Hughson Street, 1910 (Spectator [Hamilton], 9 April 1910, 24, t.c.; C.R., xxv, 7 June 1910, 66)
HAMILTON GENERAL HOSPITAL, Barton Street East at Victoria Avenue North, addition, 1911; additions, 1914 (C.R., xxv, 12 April 1911, 53, t.c.; and xxviii, 18 Feb. 1914, 73)
KING GEORGE SCHOOL, Gage Avenue North near Cannon Street East, 1911-12 (C.R., xxv, 30 Aug. 1911, 61)
CENTRAL FIRE STATION, John Street North at King William Street, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 13 March 1912, 66)
ST. GILES PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Main Street East at Holton Avenue South, 1912-13 (C.R., xxvi, 17 Jan. 1912, 72; Const., ix, Dec. 1916, 418-20, illus. & descrip.)
HESS STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL, addition, 1913 (inf. from Hamilton Public School Board)
EARL KITCHENER PUBLIC SCHOOL, Dundurn Street South at Homewood Avenue, 1914-15 (inf. from Hamilton Public School Board)
MOUNTAIN SANATORIUM, Scenic Drive, a Tuberculosis Infirmary for the Hamilton Health Association, 1914-15 (Const., x, June 1917, 203-05, illus. & descrip.)
MOUNT HAMILTON HOSPITAL, Mountain Park Avenue at Sherman Avenue, 1915-16 (Const., x, June 1917, 196-202, illus. & descrip.; dwgs. at OA, Souter & Lenz Coll., 697; Mark Osbaldeston, Unbuilt Hamilton, 2016, 85, illus.)
TECHNICAL SCHOOL, Wentworth Street North, near Cannon Street East, 1917 (Const., xii, Nov. 1919, 336-9, 361, illus. & descrip.)
LLOYD GEORGE SCHOOL, Beach Road at Agincourt Avenue, 1917-18; addition 1924-25 (inf. from Hamilton Public School Board)
STEWART & WITTON (Commercial & Industrial works in Hamilton)
EPSTEIN BROS. FURNITURE CO., James Street North near Wilson Street, a 3 storey commercial block, 1905; later called Dominion House Furnishing Co., with major additions and new facade, 1914 (C.R., xvi, 29 March 1905, 6; Spectator (Hamilton), 20 May 1905, 10; Evening Times (Hamilton), 20 May 1905, 8; Spectator (Hamilton), 8 Jan. 1914, 10; inf. Robert Hamilton)
C.J. MYLES CO., Main Street East at Hughson Street South, a 6 storey warehouse, 1905-06; demol. c. 1990 (Spectator (Hamilton), 18 March 1905, 20, illus. & descrip., and 20 May 1905, 10; Evening Times (Hamilton), 12 May 1906, 13, detailed descrip.; inf. Robert Hamilton)
A.A. PATRICK DRY GOODS STORE, York Street West at Queen Street North, 1905; with major addition, 1907; demol. (Evening Times [Hamilton], 15 April 1905, 8; and 8 July 1907, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
THORNTON & DOUGLAS LTD., Cannon Street East at Mary Street, a 3 storey factory, 1905; converted to residential use 2018-19 (Spectator [Hamilton], 23 Sept. 1905, 20; inf. Robert Hamilton)
NORTON MFR. CO., Emerald Street North at Shaw Street, addition to factory, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 8 Nov. 1905, 2)
JACKSON VISIBLE TYPEWRITER CO., Sandford Avenue South at Poplar Avenue, a 3 storey factory, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 30 May 1906, 4; C.A.B., xix, June 1906, 94; Spectator [Hamilton], 23 Dec., 1907, 1; inf. Robert Hamilton)
SAVOY THEATRE, Merrick Street, 1906 (C.A.B., xix, June 1906, 94)
LONDON MACHINE & TOOL CO., Lottridge Street at the GTR Railway line, addition of a brick warehouse [or pattern shop?], 1906 (Evening Times [Hamilton, 6 Oct. 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
JAMES STREET NORTH, near Barton Street West, a two storey retail store for John F. Armstrong, 1906; ground floor altered c. 1980; still standing in 2023 (Evening Times (Hamilton), 6 Aug. 1906, 8; inf. Robert Hamilton)
CANADA STEEL GOODS CO., Arthur Street, factory, 1907; addition 1913 (C.R., xviii, 24 July 1907, 2; xxvii, 8 Jan. 1913, 67)
SPECTATOR PRINTING CO., James Street South near Main Street, offices, gymnasium and assembly hall for Southam Ltd., 1909 (C.R., xviii, 17 March 1909, 21)
OTIS FENSOM ELEVATOR CO., Victoria Avenue North, factory, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 2 Aug. 1911, 63)
TALLMAN BRASS CO., Wilson Street at Sanford Avenue North, large factory, 1911; and major addition 1917; all still standing in 2022 (C.R., xxv, 16 Aug. 1911, 63)
CANADIAN KNITTING CO., Catharine Street North at Burlington Street East, factory, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 25 Oct. 1911, 64)
HENDRIE CARTAGE CO., Cannon Street East near John Street North, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 14 Feb. 1912, 68)
EMPIRE THEATRE, Barton Street East at Leeming Street, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 27 March 1912, 66)
TURNBULL BLOCK, Barton Street East near Earl Street, a 3 storey block of stores and apartments for William K. Turnbull, 1913-14 (C.R., xxviii, 12 March 1913, 71-72; inf. Robert Hamilton)
STEWART & WITTON (works outside Hamilton)
GALT, ONT., Collegiate Institute, Water Street North, 1905 (C.R., xv, 15 Feb. 1905, 1, t.c.; dwgs. at Waterloo County Board of Education, Kitchener)
KINCARDINE, ONT., additions and alterations to High School, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 15 March 1905, 2, t.c.)
OWEN SOUND, ONT., Sunday School for Knox Presbyterian Church, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 26 April 1905, 2)
ST. CATHARINES, ONT., a two storey large block of stables at the Grand Trunk Railway Depot, for Hendrie Co., 1906 (Daily Standard [St. Catharines], 1 Sept. 1906, 7)
TORONTO, ONT., residence for Fred W.H. Coles, Oaklands Avenue at Cottingham Street, 1907 (Toronto b.p. 7163, 25 April 1907)
ST. CATHARINES, ONT., Alexandra Public School, Henry Street, 1908-09; demol. 2015 (Daily Standard (St. Catharines), 18 Dec. 1908, 8; and 19 Feb. 1909, 1; E. Julian et al, St. Catharines: Our Built Heritage, 2005, 128, illus.)
GRIMSBY, ONT., Parish Hall for St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Main Street West, 1910-12 (The Independent [Grimsby], 6 Feb. 1922, 1 & 7, historical article on the church; History of St. Andrew's Church 1794-1969, illus.; inf. Robert Hamilton)
GALT, ONT., The Galt Club, Dickson Street, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 3 May 1911, 60, t.c.)
BARRIE, ONT., major addition to Barrie Collegiate Institute, 1911-12 (Engineering & Contracting [Chicago], xxxvi, 18 Oct. 1911, 43)
(with Thomas H. Wiley) ST. CATHARINES, ONT., Victoria Park Public School, Niagara Street at Gibson Place, 1911-12; with a major addition, 1928; all still standing in 2022 (Daily Standard [St. Catharines], 24 Jan. 1912, 4; E. Julian et al, St. Catharines: Our Built Heritage, 2005, 126-7, illus.; inf. St. Catharines Museum)
BRANTFORD, ONT. a new moving picture theatre ".....adjacent to the American Hotel", 1912-13 (Brantford Daily Expositor, 28 Dec. 1912, 3)
DUNDAS, ONT., residence for Capt. James S. Grafton, Cross Street, 1916 (C.R., xxx, 2 Aug. 1916, 47; Brantford Daily Expositor, 5 Aug. 1916, 9; inf. Robert Hamilton)
COMPETITIONS
HAMILTON, ONT., The Hamilton Club, Main Street East at James Street, rebuilding of the original 1882 building, with new facade, 1906. Stewart & Witton were one of three architects invited to submit plans for major additions and rebuilding of the existing structure. The winner was John M. Lyle (Mark Osbaldeston, Unbuilt Hamilton, 2016, 104-05, illus. & descrip.)
HAMILTON, ONT., Public Library, 1910. Stewart & Witton submitted a classically inspired Beaux Arts design for which they received the Third Prize (Const., iii, Sept. 1910, 52, illus.; Mark Osbaldeston, Unbuilt Hamilton, 2016, 106-10, illus. & descrip.). According to records held at the Hamilton Public Library, their entry was prepared solely by William P. Witton, who had trained in Chicago. Walter Pavey of London, Ont. was declared the winner, but the commission later went to A.W. Peene