BROWN, William Michael (1881-1964) was born in Halifax, N.S. on 9 September 1881 and educated at Kings College, Windsor, N.S. He was a talented draftsman at an early age and in 1898 received a Prize for architectural drawing at the Victoria School of Art & Design (Evening Mail [Halifax], 20 Sept. 1898, 6). Brown trained in the office of Whiteway & Horton (in 1899) and assisted Harris & Horton (in 1900-01). He moved to New York City where he was a draftsman for Charles P.H. Gilbert until 1907, then returned to Halifax to assist Herbert E. Gates and worked on several commissions including the Nova Scotia Technical School. In July 1908 Brown opened his own office and devoted much of his career to residential and commercial work (Evening Mail [Halifax], 3 July 1908, 5)..
Brown made frequent use of conservative, classically inspired styles and many of his drawings which survive show him to be a competent draftsman. Brown was one of the founding members of the Nova Scotia Association of Architects and served as its President in 1935-36. He moved to Annapolis Royal, N.S. after 1938 but returned to Halifax in 1943 to take over the office of S.P. Dumaresq after his death, completing the design and construction of several projects started by Dumaresq. In 1960 Brown retired from the profession and later died at Annapolis Royal on 8 October 1964 (obit. Chronicle-Herald [Halifax], 9 Oct. 1964, 24; biog. M. Rosinski, Architects in Nova Scotia, 1994, 231-2). The Public Archives of Nova Scotia holds several sets of drawings by Brown which can be found in the Dumaresq Collection.
HALIFAX
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL, for the Children's Aid Society, 1908-09 (C.R., xxii, 30 Sept. 1908, 23; Evening Mail [Halifax, 25 Feb. 1909, 2; dwgs. at PANS)
unnamed street, offices for Dr. Mathers and Dr. Doull, 1909 (dwgs. at PANS)
UNGAR'S LAUNDRY, Argyle Street, 1909 (dwgs. at PANS)
UNION BANK, Granville Street at Buckingham Street, major alterations and a new facade, 1911-12 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 13 April 1912, 14, descrip.; dwgs. at PANS)
ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC COLLEGE, Robie Street at Inglis Street, main building, 1911; and major addition, 1913 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 6 April 1911, 3, t.c.; C.R., xxv, 12 April 1911; dwgs. at PANS)
NORTH WEST ARM, residence for George M. Howard, 1912 (dwgs. at PANS)
COBURG ROAD, residence for Archibald Crease, 1912 (dwgs. at PANS)
THOMPSON BLOCK, Duke Street at Barrington Street, 1914 (dwgs. at PANS)
LARCH STREET, residence for R.J. Leslie, 1914 (dwgs. at PANS)
NORTH WEST ARM, residence for Dr. R.E. Mathers, 1914 (dwgs. at PANS)
COBURG ROAD, residence for W.H. Dennis, 1914 (dwgs. at PANS)
QUINPOOL ROAD, residence for J.B. MacRoberts, 1914 (dwgs. at PANS)
PATRICK'S STORE & TEA ROOM, George Street, major alterations, 1915 (dwgs. at PANS)
SPRING GARDEN ROAD, at Beech Street, residence for Maj. Sidney C. Oland, 1916 (dwgs. at PANS)
YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC., 1928 (Evening Mail [Halifax]. 20 Sept. 1928, 7)
YOUNG'S MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOC., Barrington Street, 1931 (C.R., xlv, 15 July 1931, 58; and xlvi, 15 Feb. 1932, 141-42, illus. & descrip.; dwgs. at PANS)
YOUNG AVENUE, residence for J. Wilfred Godfrey, 1937 (dwgs. at PANS)
NORMAN'S RESTAURANT, Morris Street at Hollis Street, 1938 (dwgs. at PANS)
ELSEWHERE
SYDNEY, N.S., department store for McCurdy & Co., c. 1910 (dwgs. at PANS)
SYDNEY, N.S., A.W. Redden & Co., shops and offices, 1912 (dwgs. at PANS)
KENTVILLE, N.S., residence for Dr. A.F. Miller, at the Provincial Sanatorium, 1914 (dwgs. at PANS)
COMPETITIONS
WOLFVILLE, N.S., Baptist Church, Main Street at Highland Avenue, 1910. W.M. Brown was one of five architects invited to submit an entry in this competition (Evening Mail [Halifax], 16 April 1910, 13). His design was set aside and Dumaresq & Cobb of Halifax were declared the winners, but the following year, in 1911, the commission was given to Charles B. Chappell of Charlottetown, P.E.I.
HALIFAX, N.S., Memorial Tower, 1910. Brown was awarded Second Prize in this competition, with First Premium going to Andrew Sharp of Toronto. However the Selection Committee later gave the commission to Dumaresq & Cobb of Halifax, because their entry ".....more closely conformed to the conditions" (Evening Mail [Halifax], 8 Nov. 1910, 5).