1 William Thomas

William Thomas was born in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England. He immigrated to Toronto in 1843 with his family. He designed 27 churches in Canada and emerged as the leading pre-Confederation architect. He designed St. Paul’s Anglican (London, 1844-46), St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Cathedral (Toronto, 1845-48) and the Unitarian Church on Jarvis Street (Toronto, 1854, now demolished). He also designed a number of public buildings, including: Kent County Court House (Chatham, 1848-49); St. Lawrence Hall (Toronto, 1850); and the Town Hall and Market (Guelph 1856-57). In 1857, Thomas brought two of his sons into the firm – William Tutin (1829-92) and Cyrus Pole (1833-1911) – and the firm’s name became William Thomas and Sons. In 1847, Thomas and John G. Howard (1803-90) established the Toronto Society of Arts. In 1859, he became President of the Association of Architects, Civil Engineers and Public Land Surveyors. By the end of his life, he had the largest architectural firm in Canada, designing in a variety of styles for various types of buildings. He is considered one of the founders of the Canadian architectural profession.

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