Bamford, John

BAMFORD, John (1852-1915), a builder and architect of Listowel, Ont., was born in Streetsville, Ont. on 7 June 1852 and trained with his father by working in the Bamford Sash & Door Co. factory. He commenced business in Listowel on his own account in 1882 and spent his career working in the town and in surrounding Perth County. At the time of his death in 1915 he was described as 'the late Mr. Bamford, who, more than to any other man, is due the credit for making Listowel a town of beautiful residences and buildings'. In 1896 he acted as local supervising architect to Darling, Curry & Pearson for Christ Church (Anglican), LISTOWEL, ONT., and in 1902 designed and built a substantial residence for H.B. Morphy, LISTOWEL, ONT. In 1914 he obtained the commission to prepare plans for the Drill Hall, Main Street, LISTOWEL, ONT., a federal building, the designs for which were normally prepared by the Chief Architect in Ottawa (Canada, Sessional Papers, li, 1916, Report No. 19, 47). Bamford's signed drawings for this structure survive (NAC, RG11, Vol. 3923, 143-172). Bamford died in Listowel on 13 May 1915 (obit. Listowel Banner, 20 May 1915, 1; Listowel Standard, 21 May 1915, 1)