BURDEN, Henry John (1893-1960), grandson of Timothy Eaton, the department store mogul, was born in Toronto on 28 April 1893 and educated at Upper Canada College. He graduated from the Dept. of Architecture at the University of Toronto in 1915 and trained under Sproatt & Rolph, a leading firm in the city, before enlisting in the Canadian Army during WWI in 1916. He transferred to the Royal Flying Corps and distinguished himself as an air ace, an enviable reputation earned after shooting down twenty-one enemy planes. After completing his service in Europe he enrolled at Princeton University and graduated with a Master's degree in fine arts in 1921. That same year he returned to Toronto and joined in a partnership with G. Roper Gouinlock; their firm gained favour for their use of the collegiate Gothic style in designs for schools in southern Ontario, and for the assured handling of the Georgian Revival style for several commissions for private residences. For unexplained reasons Burden left Toronto in 1925 and traveled extensively for two years; upon returning to Toronto in April 1927 their partnership was dissolved and Burden chose to practise alone until 1935. A dearth of work during the Depression may have necessitated his decision to accept a teaching post at the Dept. of Architecture at the Univ. of Toronto, and he lectured there until 1939 when he again went overseas to serve as group commander with the Royal Canadian Air Force. No references to his work after 1945 have been found, and he died in Toronto on 28 March 1960 (obit. Globe & Mail [Toronto], 29 March 1960, 11; Toronto Star, 29 March 1960, 2; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxxvii, April 1960, 166; biog. Who's Who in Canada, 1936-37, 147)
BURDEN & GOUINLOCK (works in Toronto unless noted)
(with Harold E. Carter) SCARBOROUGH, ONT., Birchcliff Heights Public School, Highview Avenue, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 1 March 1922, 48; Const., xv, Dec. 1922, 392-3, illus.)
(with Harold E. Carter) SCARBOROUGH, ONT., R.H. King Collegiate Institute, St. Clair Avenue East at Kingston Road, 1922-23; demol. 1976; archway and wall fragment relocated to the Guild Inn, Scarborough (C.R., xxxvi, 13 Sept. 1922, 50; Const., xv, Dec. 1922, 389-91, illus.)
JOHN R. WILCOX PUBLIC SCHOOL, Ava Road at Winnett Avenue, major addition, 1923 (C.R., xxxvii, 25 July 1923, 52)
BRAMPTON, ONT., public school, 1923 (C.R., xxxvii, 9 May 1923, 51, t.c.)
MASONIC TEMPLE, Eglinton Avenue East at Yonge Street, 1924; demol. (C.R., xxxviii, 5 March 1924, 114)
RICHMOND HILL, ONT., High School, Wright Street at Hall Street, 1924 (C.R., xxxviii, 13 Feb. 1924, 54, t.c.; R.A.I.C. Journal, ii, Jan. 1925, xi, illus. in advert.)
GRIMSBY, ONT., High School, St. Andrew's Avenue, 1925 (C.R., xxxix, 22 April 1925, 50, t.c.)
BRACEBRIDGE, ONT., High School, 1925 (C.R., xxxix, 18 Feb. 1925, 53)
ELM AVENUE, at South Drive, residence for Franklin W. Kerr, 1926 (Toronto b.p. 87264, 9 March 1926; R.A.I.C. Journal, vi, March 1929, 100, illus.; C.H.G., x, Feb. 1933, 29-31, illus.)
EAST YORK TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL, Coxwell Avenue at Cosburn Avenue, 1926 (Toronto Star, 27 Nov. 1926, 22, illus. & descrip.)
YORK TOWNSHIP, Rawlinson Public School, Glenholme Avenue, major addition, 1926 (Const., xviii, Dec. 1925, 392)
YORK TOWNSHIP, Vaughan Road High School, Vaughan Road at Winona Drive, 1926-27 (Toronto Star, 16 Sept. 1926, 15, illus. & descrip., and 12 Jan. 1927, 32, illus. & descrip.; C.R., xli, 6 July 1927, 7, illus. in advert.)
YORK TOWNSHIP, Runnymede High School, Ward Three, Jane Street near St. John's Road, 1927 (Toronto Star, 17 Dec. 1926, 12; Const., xx, Jan. 1927, 26; ; Weston Times & Guide, 6 April 1927, 9)
MIMICO, ONT., addition to the High School, Central Avenue, 1927 (C.R., xli, 26 Jan. 1927, 48)
CLARENDON AVENUE, mansion for Mrs. Josephine S. Burnside, 1928 (C.H.G., viii, April 1931, 17-23, illus.; R.A.I.C. Journal, viii, March 1931, 79, 82, 89, illus. & descrip.; Dec. 1931, 418, illus.; ix, April 1932, 99, 103, illus. & descrip.; x, Feb. 1933, 24, illus.)
NORTH YORK, ONT., 'Donningvale', a residence for John J. Vaughan, 1927-28 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xi, March 1934, 42-3, illus.; W. Dendy & W. Kilbourn, Toronto Observed, 1986, 232-3, illus.)
EVERSLEY, KING TOWNSHIP, ONT., proposed design for Eaton Hall, a mansion for Lady Eaton, Dufferin Street near Highway 40, c. 1932 (Kelly Mathews, Eaton Hall - Pride of King Township, 2015, 79-80, illus. & descrip.). This scheme was not built, and the commission was later awarded to Allward & Gouinlock of Toronto.
H.J. BURDEN (works in Toronto unless noted)
ROCHES'S POINT, ONT., 'Moongate', a private residence, c. 1933 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xii, Feb. 1935, 26-7, illus.)
AVENUE ROAD, at St. Clair Avenue West, residence for Charles E. Burden, c. 1933 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xii, Jan. 1935, 10; Aug. 1935, 136, illus.; Dec. 1935, 202, descrip.)
W.E. PHILLIPS GLASS CO., Dufferin Street near King Street West, 1936 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xiv, Feb. 1937, 21, descrip.)
(with Mathers & Haldenby) KIRKLAND LAKE, ONT., T. Eaton Co. Store, 1938 (C.R., li, 24 Aug. 1938, 34)
COMPETITIONS
COLLINGWOOD, ONT., public school, 1924. Burden & Gouinlock were one of 4 architects who submitted plans for this new educational building (Daily Sun-Times [Owen Sound], 8 July 1924, 5). It is unclear who the winner was.
AURORA, ONT., St. Andrew's Boy's College, 1924. Burden & Gouinlock were one of five firms invited to submit a design for the Master Plan of this private college, and for their effort they received a $200 honorarium (W. Scoular, Not an Ordinary Place: A St. Andrew's Century, 1998, 130). The commission was awarded to Marani & Paisley.
PEMBROKE, ONT., High School, 1925. Four Ontario firms prepared plans for this project, but the proposal by Burden & Gouinlock was set aside and Craig & Madill were declared winners (Pembroke Standard, 30 April 1925, 1).