FOWLER, Charles Allison DeWitt (1891-1950), a leading architect in Halifax, N.S. from 1920 to 1950 whose works can be found throughout the Maritimes in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. He was a native of Amherst, N.S., born there on 12 November 1891 and was educated at Mount Allison University, then studied engineering at Nova Scotia Technical College in Halifax. After graduation in 1914, he worked as a professional engineer in Newfoundland in the fields of water power development and railway engineering. In 1917 he established his own firm of C.A. Fowler & Co., Architects & Engineers, becoming one of the first to combine the services of architectural design and structural engineering for business clients in the Maritimes. It is unclear if Fowler himself was personally involved in preparing designs for buildings; instead, it appears that he hired a number of young and talented architects to carry out this work, including Frederick M. Burton (in 1925-30), David F. Saxton (in 1927-33), and Carmen L. Langille (in 1934-1950).
After 1930, Fowler adopted a more progressive, modernist aesthetic to his work, rejecting the traditional picturesque Maritime tradition for residential and institutional projects, and employing the pure white volumes expressed in reinforced concrete construction, best seen in his plans for Cornwallis Junior High School, Halifax (1949-50), and the Memorial High School in Port Elgin, New Brunswick (1947-48). Fowler was highly respected by his colleagues in the Nova Scotia Association of Architects, and they elected him as President for three separate terms. He also served as Resident Architect for Mount Allison University in Sackville, N.B., designing every major building on the campus from 1920 to 1950 and adhering to a staid American Colonial style for all of the early works there.
Fowler died unexpectedly on 4 March 1950 at the age of 60 years (extensive obituary Halifax Herald, 6 March 1950, p. 1 and p. 7; extensive obituary in the Mail-Star [Halifax], 6 March 1950, p. 3 and p. 6; obit. Journal of the Engineering Inst. of Canada [Montreal], xxxiii, April 1950, 301; obit. R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, May 1950, 181; biog. and port in The Canadian Engineer [Montreal], lii, 26 April 1927, 476; biog. & port. and list of works in Who's Who in Canada, 1934-35, 699-700; biog., port. and list of works in Who's Who in Canada, 1947-48, 595-96; M. Rosinski, Architects of Nova Scotia: A Biographical Dictionary, 1994, 264-65), His successor was his son Charles A.E. Fowler Jr. (1921-2021) of Halifax who continued the practise, which was later renamed Fowler Bauld & Mitchell, Architects. A photographic portrait of C.A.D. Fowler was published in the Evening Mail [Halifax], 5 May 1928, 17.
HALIFAX
ST. JOSEPH'S ROMAN CATHOLIC ORPHANAGE, Quinpool Road, a major 2 storey addition, with a new chapel, and new Power House, 1922-23 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 8 Sept. 1922, 12, t.c.; and 10 Jan. 1924, 8, detailed descrip.; and 19 Jan. 1924, 13, illus. & detailed architectural descrip.)
ST. THOMAS AQUINAS ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, a new Glebe House for the church, facing Oxford Street, 1928 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 9 July 1928, 17)
PURDY'S AUTO SHOWROOM & SERVICE CENTRE, Morris Street at Brenton Street, 1928 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 7 Sept. 1928, 11, detailed descrip.)
ST. PATRICK'S ROMAN CATHOLIC GIRL'S HIGH SCHOOL, Brunswick Street, major addition, 1929 (C.R., xliii, 13 March 1929, 55)
SIR CHARLES TUPPER PUBLIC SCHOOL, Beech Street at Norwood Street, 1929 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 8 March 1929, 32; C.R., xliii, 24 April 1929, 63, t.c.)
COUSIN'S DRY CLEANING CO., Robie Street, major addition of new second floor above existing block, and extensive alterations to original building, for H.S. Cousins, 1929 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 18 March 1929, 7, illus. & descrip.)
ST. THERESA'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, North Street at Dublin Street, 1930 (inf. Halifax Chancery Office; dwgs. at PANS, Dumaaresq Drawing Coll.)
HALIFAX COUNTY COURT HOUSE, Spring Garden Road, major addition, 1930-31 (Halifax Mail, 30 Oct. 1930, 10, descrip.; and 23 July 1931, 10, detailed descrip.; C.R., xliv, 26 Nov. 1930, 53)
NOVA SCOTIA TECHNICAL COLLEGE, Spring Garden Road, the Mining Building, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 13 July 1932, 44)
DALHOUSIE STREET, residence for Clarence L. Cook, 1936 (City of Halifax, building permit records)
OXFORD BUNGALOW SCHOOL, Oxford Street near Dublin Street, 1938 (C.R., li, 22 June 1938, 47)
CHEBUCTO PUBLIC SCHOOL, Chebucto Road at Windsor Street, 1938 (C.R., li, 22 June 1938, 47)
(with Grattan Thompson) ZELLER'S STORE, Barrington Street at Sackville Street, 1938 (C.R., li, 20 July 1938, 33)
QUEEN ELIZABETH HIGH SCHOOL, Robie Street at Jubilee Road, 1940; auditorium and gymnasium, 1945 (C.R., liii, 24 April 1940, 22; lviii, June 1945, 76)
TUBERCULOSIS HOSPITAL, Morris Street, major additions, 1945 (C.R., lviii, April 1945, 88)
RICHMOND SCHOOL, Acadia Street, 1946 (C.R., lix, Sept. 1946, 141)
BLOOMFIELD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, Robie Street, 1947 (C.R., lxi, July 1948, 128)
CIVIC HOSPITAL, Morris Street, major addition, 1948 (C.R., lxi, Oct. 1948, 177)
DOMINION STORES, Agricola Street, master market and distribution warehouse, 1949 (C.R., lxii, June 1949, 119)
MOUNT ST. VINCENT UNIVERSITY, new college building, 1949 (C.R., lxii, June 1949, 116)
CORNWALLIS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, 1949-50 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, Oct. 1950, 65, illus. in advert)
YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION, South Park Street, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, Oct. 1950, 156, t.c.)
ELSEWHERE
SACKVILLE, N.B., Mount Allison University, with several buildings on the campus including:
Gymnasium, 1921; (Evening Mail [Halifax], 28 June 1921, 7, t.c.); and
Central Heating building, 1930-31; (C.R., xliv, 31 Dec. 1930, 244); and
Centennial Hall and Men's Residence (later called Palmer Hall), 1933; (C.R., xlvii, 3 May 1933, 32, t.c.); and
Trueman House Men's Residence, 1944-46; (C.R., lvii, 5 April 1944, 28; (Charlottetown Guardian, 8 Aug. 1942, 9, illus. & descrip.); and
Tweedie Hall Wing addition, 1946; and with all buildings illustrated and described in
J. Leroux & T. Holownia, Vision in Wood & Stone: The Architecture of Mount Allison University, 2016, 80-81, 92-93, 97-103, 110-13, 113-15, illus. & descrip.)
MONCTON, N.B., Wesley Memorial United Church, Cameron Street at St. George Street, 1927-28 (C.R., xli, 27 April 1927, 52; Evening Mail [Halifax], 13 June 1927, 6; and 28 Feb. 1928, 13; The Atlantic News [Moncton], August 1927, Moncton Hospital Number, 34, illus. in advert.; Dedication Services - Wesley Memorial United Church, 1928, perspective illus.)
(with David F. Saxton) BEDFORD, N.S., St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church, for Father Martin, Bedford Highway at Rutledge Street, 1928-29 (Evening Mail [Halifax]. 4 Oct. 1928, 24)
TRURO, N.S., Manual Training Building and Girl's Dormitory Building for the Dept. of Works & Mines, 1930 (C.R., xliv, 30 July 1930, 61)
DARTMOUTH, N.S., St. David's Roman Catholic School, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 16 March 1932, 47)
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I., Falconwood Mental Hospital, 1933-34, rebuilding of the complex after a fire in Dec. 1931 (C.R., xlvii, 25 Jan. 1933, 37, t.c.; Charlottetown Guardian, 3 April 1934, 8-9, descrip.)
MONCTON, N.B., St. George's Anglican Church, Church Street at Queen Street, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 3 Feb. 1932, 43; Moncton Daily Times, 18 Aug. 1932, 3, descrip.)
MONCTON, N.B., High School, Church Street at Mountain Road, 1934 (C.R., xlviii, 11 July 1934, 94)
YARMOUTH, N.S., public school, 1937 (C.R., l, 27 Jan. 1937, 30)
PICTOU, N.S., rebuilding of Pictou Academy, 1938 (C.R., li, 22 June 1938, 47)
TRURO, N.S., public school, Victoria Street, 1938 (C.R., li, 20 July 1938, 33)
DARTMOUTH, N.S., Halifax County Home, Cole Harbour Road, 1939 (C.R., lii, 31 May 1939, 28-9)
COLDBROOK, N.S., cold storage warehouse for United Fruit Co., 1946 (C.R., lix, June 1946, 140)
PORT ELGIN, N.B., Regional Memorial High School, 1947-48 (C.R., lx, Feb. 1947, 144; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxvii, Feb. 1950, 45, illus. in advert.)