James Balfour -- late 19c Hamilton Architect

[realcity]

I did some research at the Central Library Archives. I could not find evidence that the King William bldg was his, but it did exhibit some Balfouresque features. If it was originally used for industry it's likely it didn't get noticed as his commercial and residential buildings got more attention.

Some of his buildings
- Treble Hall
- Bell Telephone Bldg (now LIUNA offices)
- Erskine Presbyterian Church
- old Hamilton City Hall (destroyed)
- YMCA corner of James and Jackson - site of new shitbox (destroyed)
- Ballinahinch
- Ravenscliffe
- Tucket Mansion (now Scottish Rite)
- Tucket Tobacco Factory on York Blvd (destroyed) this building looks most like the King William building only was larger.
- 250 James South (opp. St. Joes ER)
- 230 James South
- 268 James South
- 274 Bay South
- 280 Bay South
- 93 MacNab
- 252-262 MacNab N
- 42-46 Herkimer
- 121-125 Markland

[highwater]

Wow. Thanks. I had no idea all those buildings were his.

[raisethehammer]

amazing....tell Dreschel to shed some crocodile tears over that list.
We really are blessed that the entire historic core hasn't been destroyed with the clowns we've had at city hall and media that has been polluting the minds of readers for decades.

[realcity]

I saw a pic of the old YMCA, absolutely beautiful! Almost as big a shame as the Birks Building. Does anyone know if it's in those books about old Hamilton buildings.... "missing Hamilton" or something like that. Saw it at Mixed Media once.

[raisethehammer]

yup, it's in there. It was awesome....as was the old central terminal.

[astroblaster]

awesome list, realcity

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by realcity

I saw a pic of the old YMCA, absolutely beautiful! Almost as big a shame as the Birks Building. Does anyone know if it's in those books about old Hamilton buildings.... "missing Hamilton" or something like that. Saw it at Mixed Media once.

My wife had two books she ordered, FOOTSTEPS IN TIME, Exploring Hamilton's Heritage Neighbourhoods Vol 1 & 2 delivered today. I just took a quick look through v1 and it's depressing to see what is now gone.................

[Millstone]

Originally Posted by FairHamilton

My wife had two books she ordered, FOOTSTEPS IN TIME, Exploring Hamilton's Heritage Neighbourhoods Vol 1 & 2 delivered today. I just took a quick look through v1 and it's depressing to see what is now gone.................

I'm pretty much interested in all these books, wish I had the money. http://www.canadianheritagebooks.com/page3.html

[astroblaster]

the Footsteps books are amazing.. i can't get enough of them.

vanished hamilton series is also very cool

I am working on getting the "prints" ones too.. but so far i only have the "prints of king"..

now i'm sort of low on funds

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by Millstone

I'm pretty much interested in all these books, wish I had the money. http://www.canadianheritagebooks.com/page3.html

Christmas and Birthday lists

[astroblaster]

Originally Posted by realcity

I saw a pic of the old YMCA, absolutely beautiful! Almost as big a shame as the Birks Building. Does anyone know if it's in those books about old Hamilton buildings.... "missing Hamilton" or something like that. Saw it at Mixed Media once.

I don't see it in any of the Vanished Hamilton books

But I just found it in Footsteps volume 1.. page 111

[flar]

Central library has dozens of books about Hamilton.

[matt602]

Specifically you'd want to hit up the Special Collections department.

[FairHamilton]

The building on the northeast corner of Adelaide & Spadina in Toronto is called the Balfour Building. I wonder if there's any connection?

[realcity]

James Balfour did do some buildings in Toronto, St. Thomas, Detroit and Niagara Falls. He bid on the Toronto City Hall but lost. It's possible that it is his building at Spadina and Adelaide.

Alma College, St. Thomas by James Balfour





what a loss -- recently burned down, "demolition by neglect"




"Crocodile Tears" Andrew Dreschel? I know you read this.

It was a gorgeous building. Balfouresque design features included, a blend of Gothic Revival and Second Empire, Mansard Roof with gabled dormers, combined with dramatic steep roof pitches on the peaks, variety of textures, brick construction (no steel frame that came later in 19c/20c) with cut stone skirting (usually from Port Credit and brick from Beamsville), keystoning, and tall narrow windows framed with lighter stone and arched tops. It even had mini-flying buttresses, because it didn't have a steel frame and a height like Alma College had would need the support at the lower level. And an attention to details and embellishments without being garish.


This building was on the watch list of Heritage Ontario Buildings for years. It appears the owners finally get rid of it.... the fire was deemed 'suspicious'. It should make a good location for a Best Buy.

http://www.ontarioheritageconnection....200604_a.html

http://lfpress.ca/cgi-bin/publish.cg...846&s=politics

watch it burn on youtube
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=6bESrT...eature=related

[realcity]

this better not give LIUNA any ideas

[FairHamilton]

Originally Posted by realcity

James Balfour did do some buildings in Toronto, St. Thomas, Detroit and Niagara Falls. He bid on the Toronto City Hall but lost. It's possible that it is his building at Spadina and Adelaide.

Alma College, St. Thomas by James Balfour





what a loss -- recently burned down, "demolition by neglect"




"Crocodile Tears" Andrew Dreschel? I know you read this.

It was a gorgeous building. Balfouresque design features included, a blend of Gothic Revival and Second Empire, Mansard Roof with gabled dormers, combined with dramatic steep roof pitches on the peaks, variety of textures, brick construction (no steel frame that came later in 19c/20c) with cut stone skirting (usually from Port Credit and brick from Beamsville), keystoning, and tall narrow windows framed with lighter stone and arched tops. It even had mini-flying buttresses, because it didn't have a steel frame and a height like Alma College had would need the support at the lower level. And an attention to details and embellishments without being garish.


This building was on the watch list of Heritage Ontario Buildings for years. It appears the owners finally get rid of it.... the fire was deemed 'suspicious'. It should make a good location for a Best Buy.

http://www.ontarioheritageconnection....200604_a.html

http://lfpress.ca/cgi-bin/publish.cg...846&s=politics

watch it burn on youtube
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=6bESrT...eature=related

Very much a tragedy, but I believe they arrested a couple of teens for setting the fire. I won't dispute demolition by neglect, but let's not fuel rumours the owners were responsible for 'arranging' the fire (OK that was my first thought when I heard the news, but simply not true).

[realcity]

"fuel" being the key word. I don't know how a vacant building of stone and brick burns so much.

[flar]

Those old buildings are full of wood, all the floors, the roof, doors, stairways, etc. I've seen pictures of a huge fire in a magnificent old school in Hamilton, I forget what it was called, but the building was amazing.

[the dude]

^hamilton collegiate. corner of hunter and wellington, before the claremont access was built.