John George Howard

John George Howard ( born July 27, 1803 in Hertford, England; † February 3, 1890 in Toronto ) was a Canadian architect and builder of many public, commercial and private buildings in Toronto and the surrounding area.

Career

John George Howard was born 1803 in Bengeo, a district of Hertford. He was the fourth of seven children of John and Sarah Corby. After school, Howard spent two years at sea before returning as a trained carpenter and carpenter to England. In 1824 he began his training at the London architect William Ford and remained until 1832 a partner in the joint architectural office. On May 7 1827 he married Jemima Frances Meikle. Both emigrated to Canada in 1832 and appropriated the last name of Howard. In 1837 he did military service during the suppression of the rebellion led by William Lyon Mackenzie.

Effect

Howard is considered the first professional architect in Toronto. His first assignment was teaching in Upper Canada College. He remained until 1856 a member of the school. At the same time he practiced and was born on May 1, 1843 Toronto's first building surveyor. The cemetery of St. James, which he designed in 1842, is considered as an early and interesting example for its picturesque planning. In the years 1842 to 1844 the courthouse was built from Brockville to his plans. He left the Esplanade applied to the Waterfront and divided the peninsula to the port, which is known as the Toronto Islands today. He acquired land and is the founder of High Park, the area, the largest park in Toronto. The private ownership passed to the city after his death.