BAXTER, David Gunn (1871-1898) was the son of Joseph Baxter, chief dispatcher of the Grand Trunk Railway, and was a precocious and remarkably prolific architect in Stratford, Ont. According to his obituary, he was '...a clever young man, making a good beginning as a designer in his boyhood days, and capturing a diploma awarded to the Stratford school at the Intercolonial Exposition in London, England'. He trained under Joseph Kilburn of Stratford, and began his career in June 1892 by preparing elaborate plans in competititon for the Legislative Buildings at Victoria, B.C. (M. Segger, The British Columbia Parliament Buildings, 1979, 84). He designed dozens of commercial, ecclesiastical, educational and residential buildings throughout southwestern Ontario, and may have been the same 'Mr. Baxter' who collaborated with W.E. Binning of Listowel, Ont. in 1894-95. His health deteriorated during the summer of 1896, and he died of tuberculosis on 22 January 1898 at the age of 28 years. His physical appearance was '....never very rugged, but always a great athlete, but his constitution was not strong enough to sustain an active disposition' (obituary in Perth County Evening Herald [Stratford], 22 Jan.1898, C.A.B., xi, Feb. 1898, 26).
David G. BAXTER (works in Stratford)
WELLINGTON STREET, residence for John Morris, 1893 (C.R., iii, 12 Nov. 1892, 1)
MYERS BLOCK, Downie Street, commercial block with stores, offices and lodge hall, 1893 (C.R., iv, 30 March 1893, 2)
LORETTO ROMAN CATHOLIC CONVENT, Waterloo Street at Grange Street, a chapel and school room (C.R., iv, 27 April 1893, 2)
CAMBRIA STREET at Shrewsbury Street, residence of Thomas Trow, 1893 (C.R., iv, 18 May 1893, 2)
ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Huron Street, a new spire, 1893 (C.R., iv, 27 July 1893, 1)
CAMBRIA STREET, double residence for the De La Framier Brothers., 1893 (C.R., iv, 23 Nov. 1893, 1)
(with W.E. Binning) CHURCH STREET, residence for J.A. Duggan, 1894 (C.R., v, 7 June 1894, 2)
OPERA HOUSE, Downie Street at George Street, for A. Brandenberger, 1897-98 (C.R., viii, 15 April 1897, 2)
AMERICAN HOTEL, Guelph Street, 1897 (C.R., viii, 15 April 1897, 2)
David G. BAXTER (works elsewhere in Ontario)
DUBLIN, ONT., summer residence for E.M. Groot of Syracuse, N.Y., 1893 (C.R., iii, 24 Dec. 1892, 1)
ST. MARYS, ONT., Sunday School for the Methodist Church, Church Street South, 1893; alterations to the church, 1896 (Minutes of the Trustee Board of St. Marys Methodist Church, 16 May 1893; C.R., vii, 21 May 1896, 2; and 8 Oct. 1896, 1, 3)
AVONBANK, ONT., Presbyterian Church, Road 134 at Line 16, 1893; church closed, but building still standing in 2023 (C.R., iv, 25 May 1893, 2)
HESPELER, ONT., large warehouse for Forbes Milling Co., 1893 (C.R., iv, 29 June 1893, 1)
AVONTON, ONT., Presbyterian Church, Perth Road at 26th Line, 1893-94; still standing in 2023 (C.R., iv, 5 Oct. 1893, 2)
STANTON, ONT, residence of John Watson, 1893 (C.R., iv, 2 Nov. 1893, 1)
BERLIN, ONT., residence for J.M. Staebler, Queen Street, 1893-94 (C.R., iv, 14 Dec. 1893, 1)
(with W.E. Binning) WHITECHURCH, ONT., Presbyterian Church, 1894 (C.R., v, 7 June 1894, 2)
(with W.E. Binning) BELGRAVE, ONT., Presbyterian Church, 1894 (C.R., v, 7 June 1894, 2)
MITCHELL, ONT., commercial block for J. Middlemiss, and a 'similar block' for J.J.B. Little, 1896 (C.R., vii, 2 April 1896, 2)
TAVISTOCK, ONT., Arlington Hotel, 1896; burned 1963 (C.A.B., x, March 1897, 53, descrip.)
WELLBURN, ONT., Methodist Church, Wellburn Road near Gregory Drive, 1896; converted to a private residence; still standing in 2023 (C.R., vii, 28 May 1896, 1; inf. Ian Mason, Sarnia)
HESPELER, ONT., Town Hall, 1897 (C.R., viii, 15 April 1897, 2)
ST. MARYS, ONT., Whelihan Block, Queen Street at Water Street, 1897 (St. Marys Journal, 3 June 1897, 8, descrip. & illus.)