SPIER, William (1801-1878), active in Montreal, Que. where his name has been linked to two important landmarks for which he served as the Supervising Architect, and perhaps as the design architect. These include the lavish mansion for William Dow, Beaver Hall Square (1860; still standing as of 2019), and “Ravenscrag”, the residential mansion for Sir Hugh Allan, Pine Avenue West (1861; still standing as of 2019).
Spier was born in the village of Dalfred, County Ayr in Scotland in 1801 and emigrated to Lower Canada in 1820. He became a successful builder and contractor in Montreal, and in 1844 he admitted his son James Spier as a full partner to his business named “William Spier & Son, Carpenters & Joiners” (Montreal Transcript, 31 Aug. 1844, 2, advert.). They maintained a successful operation in the building trades, but in 1855 a small notice appeared announcing the dissolution of their business (Montreal Transcript, 27 March 1855, p. 3 col. 1), and it is unclear why this occurred. However, within one year, the firm re-appeared, with a new title as William Spier & Son, Architects, with an office and residence on George Street in Montreal. One of the employees in this office was Victor Roy (1837-1902), a talented young architect who trained under Spier and who was present in his office in 1861 when Spier received the commission to design “Ravenscrag”, the substantial mansion for Sir Hugh Allan. The role of Spier on this commission as the lead architect is outlined in notarial documents, but it is unclear whether the entire project can be attributed solely to Spier, or the exact nature of the role Victor Roy played in the development of the plans for this Montreal landmark located on the lower slope of Mount Royal.
More significantly, the relationship between Spier and Roy may also have already been in place just one year before when, in 1860, Spier was credited as the “Supervising Architect” for the mansion of William Dow, Beaver Hall Square, still standing in Montreal and home to the Engineer’s Club of Canada until 1979. The actual design of this significant landmark has recently been credited to other names as the lead architect, including either William Tutin Thomas, or to John W. Hopkins, or to James Springle, and it remains unclear who Spier was working for in a “supervisory” role, responsible for overseeing the day-to-day construction of this mansion following the plans likely prepared by another architect.
Spier continued to practise in Montreal as an architect until 1868 or 1869, but by 1872 Victor Roy was noted as “the successor to Mr. Spier”, an indication that their collaboration had been a rewarding and mutually beneficial one, so it may be assumed that Spier retired from the profession after 1870 (Canadian Illustrated News [Montreal], vi, 7 Dec. 1872, 355). Spier died in Montreal on 11 November 1878 and was buried at Mount Royal Cemetery (obituary Daily Witness [Montreal], 14 Nov. 1878, 8; obituary Montreal Star, 14 Nov. 1878, p. 3, col. 8; death notice Gazette [Montreal], 12 Nov. 1878, p. 2, col. 7).
WILLIAM SPIER (works in Montreal unless noted)
GREAT ST. JAMES STREET, two retail stores for Etienne Guy, 1856 (ANQM, J. Smith, Notaire, 27 Aug. 1856, No. 2788)
DRUMMOND STREET, residence for William Stephen, 1856 (ANQM, J. Smith, Notaire, 21 Oct. 1856, No. 2870 and 2872)
NOTRE DAME STREET, a large commercial block of 3 stores, one for J.&.J. Bell, 3 storeys in height, and two stores for Joseph Savage, each 3 storeys, 1857 (Montreal Herald, 14 July 1857, 1, detailed architectural descrip.)
STE. CATHERINE STREET, a stone residence for E. Baird, 1857 (Montreal Herald, 14 July 1857, 1)
EDWARD EVANS & CO., St. Paul Street, retail store and warehouse, 1857 (ANQM, J. Smith, Notaire, 1857, No. 3239 and 3240)
McGILL STREET, at Recollet Street, retail store for William H. Kingston, 1857 (ANQM, J.S. Hunter, Notaire, 9 June 1857, 2460 and 2465)
MONTREAL PROTESTANT ORPHAN ASYLUM, two designs for new outbuildings on the grounds, 1857 (Gazette [Montreal], 9 Jan. 1858, 1)
ODD FELLOWS HALL, Craig Street at Fortification Lane, addition and alterations, 1859 (ANQM, J. Smith, Notaire, 1 March 1859, No. 4961)
WOLFE STREET, house for Michael St. Jacques, 1859 (ANQM, J. Smith, Notaire, 19 Sept. 1859, No. 5625)
WILLIAM SPIER & SON (works in Montreal unless noted)
CATHEDRAL BLOCK, 29-39 Notre Dames Street West, first phase of a commercial block, 1859 (Montreal, Les Magasins Les Cinemas, 1985, 19-22, illus.)
WILLIAM STREET, at Richmond Street, two houses for Etienne Guy, 1860 (ANQM, J. Smith, Notaire, 1860, No. 6872)
(as Supervising Architect to ???) BEAVER HALL SQUARE, mansion for William Dow, 1860-61 (ANQM, J. Smith, Notaire, 24 April 1860, No. 6588; Montreal, Les Residences, 1987, 203-06, illus.; F. Remillard & B. Merrett, Mansions of the Golden Square Mile - Montreal, 1987, 74-77, illus. & descrip.)
(with Victor Roy) PINE AVENUE WEST, 'Ravenscrag', a mansion for Sir Hugh Allan, 1861-63 (ANQM, J. Smith, Notaire, 1861, No. 7929; Canadian Illustrated News [Montreal], vi, 7 Dec. 1872, 355, with correction of an earlier mis-attribution to John W. Hopkins; City of Montreal, Les Residences, 1987, 18-25, illus.)
McGILL UNIVERSITY ARTS BUILDING, Sherbrooke Street West, addition of the West Wing for William Molson [now called Molson Hall], 1861 (Montreal Transcript, 19 March 1861, 3, t.c.; ANQM, J.S. Hunter, Notaire, 4 May 1861, No. 6137; Montreal, Les Edifices Scolaires, 1980, 140-3, illus.)
JAMES HUTTON & CO., Ste. Helene Street, two retail stores "....on the site of the Baptist Chapel", 1861 (ANQM, J.S. Hunter, Notaire, 4 May 1861, No. 6135; Montreal, Les Magasins Les Cinemas, 1985, 42-4, illus.)
NEW CITY GAS CO., Dalhousie Street, an industrial warehouse building, 1861, credited to John Spiers [sic], likely James Spier, of William Spier & Son, Architects (ANQM, J.S. Hunter, Notaire, 2 July 1861; City of Montreal, Architecture Industrielle, 1982, 158-59, illus.)
OGILVY & CO., St. Paul Street at St. Pierre Street, a commercial block for John Ogilvy, 1861 (ANQM, J.C. Griffin, Notaire, 30 July 1861, No. 20463)
LINDSAY, ONT., St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Francis Street, 1863 (Canadian Post [Lindsay], 17 Sept. 1863, 2; The Presbyterian [Montreal], xviii, April 1864, 101)