BLACKWELL, Walter Renison Lightborne (1890-1957), son of William Blackwell, was born in Peterborough, Ont. on 26 September 1890 and attended the Dept. of Architecture at the University of Toronto in 1910-12. He moved to New York City and studied architecture at Columbia University for one year (in 1912-13) and then took a position as draftsman with Cram, Goodhue & Ferguson for six months. In late 1912 he joined Henry D. Whitfield in New York, and later became chief draftsman in that office in 1917. The following year he returned to Canada and in January 1919 he joined his father's firm in Peterborough as a full partner. Their office secured many contracts for new branches of the Bank of Toronto throughout Ontario over the next three decades. Their schemes were invariably refined, classically inspired works showing the influence of the American training that Blackwell had obtained in 1912-18.
After the death of his father in 1937 Walter B. continued to practice under the old firm name until 1945 when James S. Craig became a partner, and they maintained offices in Peterborough and Toronto. In 1951 they were joined by a young German architect Eberhard Zeidler, who became a full partner in 1953 and who later became a leading figure in 20th century Canadian architecture. Walter B. retired in 1955 and died in Peterborough on 21 January 1957 (obit. Peterborough Examiner, 22 Jan. 1957, 2 & 9; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxxiv, March 1957, 144; biog. in R. Hamilton, Prominent Men of Canada, 1931-32, 112). The Ontario Archives in Toronto holds a collection of architectural drawings prepared by W. & W.R.L. Blackwell between 1919 and 1950. A dated list of works by Blackwell & Craig, and by Blackwell, Craig & Zeidler after 1950 was published in the monograph prepared by Christian Thomsen entitled Eberhard Zeidler: In Search of Human Space, 1992, p. 297.
W. & W.R.L. BLACKWELL (works in Ontario)
HAVELOCK, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1919 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., Peace Memorial School (later called Prince of Wales School), Monoghan Road, 1919 (dwgs. at OA)
BETHANY, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1920 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
NEW LOWELL, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1920 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
PENETANGUISHENE, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1921 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
MARKDALE, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1920 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1922 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
OAKVILLE, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1922 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
SUDBURY, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1925 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., major addition to Peterborough Collegiate Inst., George Street, 1927 (C.R., xli, 14 Sept. 1927, 54; dwgs. at OA)
TORONTO, ONT., Bank of Toronto, Yonge Street at Belsize Road, 1927 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
LONDON, ONT., Bank of Toronto, Dundas Street at Wellington Street, 1928-29 (R.A.I.C. Journal, vii, March 1930, ii, illus in advert.; dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., Motor Exhibition Building, 1928 (dwgs. at OA)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., Mark Street United Church, 1928-29 (Evening Examiner [Peterborough], 4 March 1929, 9, descrip.; dwgs. at OA)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., major addition to Young Men's Christian Assoc., George Street, 1931 (dwgs. at OA)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., residence for Walter R.L. Blackwell, architect, O'Carroll Avenue at Benson Avenue, 1932-33 (R.A.I.C. Journal, x, Oct. 1933, 175, illus.; Const., xxvi, Nov./Dec. 1933, 149, illus.; C.H.G., xi, March 1934, 48, illus.)
(with John T. Hornsby) PETERBOROUGH, ONT., new facade and extensive alterations to Masonic Hall, 1933 (dwgs. at OA)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., cemetery mausoleum for W.G. Morrow, 1935 (dwgs. at OA)
COBOURG, ONT., Cobourg Public Utilities Building, 1936 (dwgs. at OA)
TORONTO, ONT., Bank of Toronto, Eglinton Avenue West at Avenue Road, 1937 (Canadian Banker, xlvi, April 1939, 292, illus.; dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
NEWMARKET, ONT., Bank of Toronto, 1937 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
TORONTO, ONT., Bank of Toronto, St. Clair Avenue West at Bathurst Street, 1938-41 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.; Toronto b.p. 70148, 4 Nov. 1940)
HAMILTON, ONT., Bank of Toronto, Aberdeen Avenue, 1941 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
WINDSOR, ONT., Ford Motor Co., Sandwich Street East near George Avenue, offices, 1948 (C.R., lxi, May 1948, 176)
BLACKWELL & CRAIG (works in Ontario)
PETERBOROUGH, ONT., Civic Hospital, George Street at Argyle Street, Nurse's Residence, heating plant and laundry building, 1948 (C.R., lxi, Aug. 1948, 232; Canadian Hospital [Toronto], xxvii, Sept. 1950, 38-41, illus. & descrip.)
LONDON, ONT., Bank of Toronto, Dundas Street, 1950 (dwgs. TD Bank, Premises Dept.)
TORONTO, ONT. Bank of Toronto, Queen Street East at Kenilworth Avenue, 1950 (M. Campbell & B. Myrvold, Historical Walking Tour of Kew Beach, 1995, 16-17, illus. & descrip.; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 3065)
TORONTO, ONT., Bank of Toronto, Avenue Road at Haddington Avenue, 1950 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, Oct. 1950, 352, illus.)