BARBOUR, Robert Fulton (1822-1898) of St. Marys, Ont. was active there as a builder, contractor and architect from 1854 onward. Born in Coldstream-on-Tweed, Scotland he emigrated to the United States in 1851 and worked in New York City and Rochester as a foreman for several contractors. After arriving in St. Marys he was employed in the Whimster factory and commenced business for himself as a builder and contractor. His possessed an ability to design and supervise construction projects and was hired by the Town Council in 1865 as 'Inspector of the Work' for the West Ward School. In 1871 he was referred to as 'designer and builder' of the Garnett House Hotel, Church Street, St. Mary's. He died under mysterious circumstances, perhaps as the result of a shooting accident, on 21 March 1898 and left an estate valued at $5500 (obituary in the St. Marys Journal, 24 March 1898, 8; 31 March 1898, 8; OA, Perth County Wills, No. 3018)
(works in St. Marys unless noted)
WEST WARD SCHOOL, 1865, addition, 1874 (St. Marys Argus, 19 March 1874, 2; J. Stanley, Our St. Marys Schools, 1910, 11)
BARTLETT BLOCK, Water Street, 1868 (OA, St. Marys Deeds, Instrument 3711, 10 March 1868; L. Wilson & L. Pfaff, Early St. Marys, 1981, 47, illus.)
GARNETT HOUSE HOTEL, Church Street, for William Morshead, 1871 (St. Marys Argus, 16 June 1871, 2, descrip.)
HIGH SCHOOL, Water Street, 1874 (St. Marys Argus, 16 April 1874, 2)
QUEEN STREET EAST, store for Edward Long & Co., 1874 (St. Marys Argus, 18 June 1874, 2)
NORTH WARD SCHOOL, Water Street North, 1874 (St. Marys Argus, 16 April 1874, 2; L. Wilson and L. Pfaff, Early St. Marys, 1981, 26, illus.)
EAST NISSOURI TOWNSHIP, Oxford County, School for S.S. No. 4, 1875 (St. Marys Argus, 4 Feb. 1875, 3, t.c.)