BRASS, Peter (1838-1904) was born in Stromness, Orkney, Scotland and worked as builder and contractor in Hamilton, Ont. from the mid-1850's until 1879 when he began to advertise himself as an architect (W.H. Irwin, City of Hamilton Directory, 1879-80, 375). Most of his commissions after that date were for small residential, commercial and industrial projects and for a variety of alterations and additions to buildings in the Hamilton and Dundas area. A notable exception is his assured Gothic Revival design for Knox Presbyterian Church, Oakville, Ont., 1888; still standing in 2022, which is perhaps his most significant architectural commission of his career. By 1900 he had taken up the position of Inspector of Buildings for the Grand Trunk Railway, and he superintended the construction of the G.T.R. Office Building in Montreal. He died in Hamilton on 17 September 1904 (obituary in the Spectator [Hamilton], 19 Sept. 1904, 10).
HAMILTON
KING STREET WEST, at Park Street North, commercial block for Zaccheus Pattison, 1880; new factory, 1883 (Spectator [Hamilton], 8 March 1880, 4, col. 6, descrip.; and 27 Aug. 1883, 1, t.c.)
JAMES STREET NORTH, refitting of the Mechanics Hall for the Academy of Music, 1880 (Spectator [Hamilton], 17 July 1880, 4; and 14 Sept. 1880, 4, descrip.)
HESS STREET NORTH, at George Street, row of six houses for J.T. Taylor, 1880 (Spectator [Hamilton], 16 Oct. 1880, 4)
YORK STREET, row of six stores for Robert Thompson, 1880 (Spectator [Hamilton], 16 Oct. 1880, 4)
BAY STREET, row of six houses for Charles Huton, 1880 (Spectator [Hamilton], 16 Oct. 1880, 4)
KING STREET EAST, addition to the department store for Thomas C. Watkins, 1880-82 (Spectator [Hamilton], 6 Dec. 1880, l, t.c.; and 13 Feb. 1882, 1)
JAMES STEWART & CO., new iron foundry, moulding shop and additions, MacNab Street North, 1881-83 (Spectator [Hamilton], 23 Feb. 1881, 1, t.c.; and 20 April 1881, 4; and 18 April 1882, 1; and 12 Feb. 1883, 1, t.c.)
GEORGE LEE & SON, block of shops, King Street West, 1881 (Spectator [Hamilton], 20 Dec. 1881, 4; and 21 Dec. 1881, 2)
ST PAUL'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Sunday School, James Street South at Jackson Street West, 1883 (Spectator [Hamilton], 21 May 1883, 4, t.c.)
JAMES STREET SOUTH, residence for Thomas Lawry, 1888 (Spectator [Hamilton], 23 April 1888, 4, t.c.)
MACNAB STREET SOUTH, meat packing plant for Thomas Lawry & Son, 1891-92 (C.R., 5 Dec. 1891, 2, t.c.)
KING STREET EAST, between Arthur Avenue South and Hopkins Street, alterations to ‘Cedar Grove‘, a large villa for John Proctor, 11 Aug. 1892, 8, t.c.)
ELSEWHERE
DUNDAS, ONT., R.T. Wilson Axe Co., rebuilding of a large factory, Hatt Street, 1882 (Spectator [Hamilton], 13 July 1882, 5, descrip.)
DUNDAS, ONT. The Laing Block, King Street West, a three storey commercial block for Robert Laing and Peter Laing, 1882 (City of Hamilton, Hamilton's Heritage, Vol. 5, June 2005, 35, illus. & descrip.)
DUNDAS, ONT., residence for John Enright, Walnut Street, 1883 (Spectator [Hamilton], 25 May 1883, 4)
DUNDAS, ONT., schoolhouse, 1885 (Spectator [Hamilton], 9 April 1885, 1, t.c.)
DUNDAS, ONT., Dundas Curling & Skating Rink Co., Hatt Street near Foundry Street, 1885-86; still standing in 2022 (Spectator [Hamilton], 5 Oct. 1885, 4, t.c.; Ann Gillespie & Jeremy Parsons, "From Skating to Malting: Bringing Craft Beer to Dundas" in ACORN - The Journal of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, xli, No. 1, Spring 2016, 2-3, illus. & descrip., but lacking attribution to the architect)
DUNDAS, ONT., The Dundas Standard Newspaper Co., King Street, major addition to office block, 1886 (Spectator [Hamilton], 2 Sept. 1886, 10, descrip.)
OAKVILLE, ONT., Knox Presbyterian Church, Lakeshore Road East at Dunn Street, 1887-88; still standing in 2022 (Spectator [Hamilton], 25 May 1887, 4, t.c.)
NELSON, ONT., Halton County, School for S.S. 14, '....near the Burlington G.T.R. Station', 1889 (Spectator [Hamilton], 1 Feb. 1889, 4, t.c.)