BIGONESSE, Louis Joseph (1886-1945), a French-speaking architect active in Montreal, Que. for more than twenty years. Unlike many of his Montreal colleagues in the profession, he conspicuously avoided taking on major ecclesiastical commissions from the Roman Catholic Diocese in that city, choosing instead to specialize in the design of multi-unit residential apartment projects in Outremont, Westmount and in the City of Montreal. Born in St. Jovite, Co. Labelle, Quebec on 24 April 1886, he was educated at Granby College. He moved to Montreal and studied architecture at the Polytechnique School of Montreal where he graduated in 1911. Bigonesse commenced practise under his own name in 1912, then invited his younger brother Joseph Aurele Bigonesse to form a new partnership in 1915. They practised together until 1929, then L.J. continued to operate his own office in Montreal from 1930 until 1936. Bigonesse died in Montreal on 13 October 1945 (notice of death R.A.I.C. Journal, xxiii, March 1946, 55; biog. and port. in Montreal Old & New, 1914, 263; biog. and port. Biographies Canadiennes Francaises, Vol. 1, 1920, 407; and Biographies Canadiennes Francaises, Vol 3, 1923).
L.J. BIGONESSE (works in Montreal)
MONT LAURIER, QUE., Commercial Academy, 1913 (La Presse [Montreal], 25 Oct. 1913, 29, illus.)
OUTREMONT, row of three triplex houses for Armand Bourque, 1913 (Outremont b.p. 878, 22 Nov. 1913)
MONTREAL, QUE., Marguerite-LeMoyne Academy, St. Andre Street, c. 1916 (O. Maurault, St. Jacques de Montreal, 1923, 107, descrip.)
OUTREMONT, Trianon Apartments, Epee Avenue, 1919 (Outremont b.p. 1182, 13 May 1919)
OUTREMONT, rectory for Ste. Madeleine Roman Catholic Church, Outremont Avenue, 1919 (Outremont b.p. 1197, 18 June 1919)
BIGONESSE & BIGONESSE (works in Montreal unless noted)
OUTREMONT, pair of houses for A. Boyer, St. Joseph Boulevard, 1916 (Outremont b.p. 1032, 18 May 1916; Continuite [Quebec City], Autumn 1991, illus.)
OUTREMONT, residence for J.B. De Seve, St. Joseph Boulevard, 1916; demol. 1973 (Outremont b.p. 1031, 19 May 1916)
ECOLE ST. JEAN BAPTISTE, Berry Street, 1917-19 (Montreal, Les Edifices Scolaires, 1980, 230-33, illus.)
OUTREMONT, The Carta Apartments, 1919 (Montreal Daily Star, 19 June 1919, 23)
SAULT-AU-RECOLLET, QUE., chapel for Visitation Roman Catholic Church, Armes Boulevard, 1921 (Le Prix Courant, liv, 11 March 1921, 56)
OUTREMONT, residence for R. Aumont, Elmwood Street, 1921 (Le Prix Courant, liv, 13 May 1921, 14)
BENOIT MOTORS LTD., Park Avenue, showroom and garage, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 21 June 1922, 56)
STE. AGATHE, QUE., hotel for L. Raymond, 1922 (Le Prix Courant, lv, 23 June 1922, 49)
OUTREMONT, residence for Mrs. B. Benoit, Elmwood Place, 1922 (Outremont b.p.1554, 18 Aug. 1922)
OUTREMONT, three houses for J.V. Gervais, McNider Avenue, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 25 Oct. 1922, 49)
MONTREAL, a row of 3 tenements at 563, 565 and 567 University Avenue, each 4 storeys high, for an unnamed client, 1923 (Le Prix Courant, 26 Jan. 1923, 72)
OUTREMONT, major addition to Ste. Madeleine Roman Catholic School, Champagneur Avenue, 1923 (Outremont b.p. 1627, 30 April 1923; Montreal, Les Edifices Scolaires, 1980, 72-5, illus.)
WESTMOUNT, Ambassador Apartments, Sherbrooke Street West at Strathcona Avenue, 1926 (Montreal, Les Appartements, 1991, 403-04, illus.)
OUTREMONT, apartment block for Nusselman & Gertzman, Bernard Avenue, 1927 (C.R., xli, 9 March 1927, 61; Outremont b.p. 2176, 12 April 1927)
OUTREMONT, row of triplex houses for Nusselman & Gertzman, Lajoie Avenue, 1927 (Outremont b.p. 2238, 11 Aug. 1927)
OUTREMONT, Ypres Apartments, Outremont Avenue near Lajoie Street, 1927-28; demol. 1966-67 (Outremont b.p. 2317, 15 Dec. 1927; C.R., xlii, 23 May 1928, 45)
WESTMOUNT, apartment block for Saul Bierbrier, Greene Avenue, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 18 April 1928, 73)
MONKLAND AVENUE, at Old Orchard Street, apartment block, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 23 May 1928, 45)
DECARIE BOULEVARD, at Terrebonne Street, apartment block, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 23 May 1928, 45)
PRUD'HOMME APARTMENTS, Prud'homme Avenue at Sherbrooke Street West, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 30 May 1928, 172)
MADISON APARTMENTS, Sherbrooke Street West at Madison Avenue, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 27 June 1928, 63)
HAMPSTEAD APARTMENTS, Sherbrooke Street West at Terrebonne Street, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 10 Oct. 1928, 57)
WESTMOUNT, Victoria Apartments, Victoria Avenue at Sherbrooke Street West, 1929 (C.R., xliii, 15 May 1929, 70)
OUTREMONT, residence for Sam Chernoff, Maplewood Avenue, 1929 (Outremont b.p. 2503, 1 March 1929; C.R., xliii, 8 May 1929, 61)
L.J. BIGONESSE (works in Montreal)
PONSARD APARTMENTS, Queen Mary Road at Ponsard Avenue, 1931 (C.R., xlv, 11 March 1931, 126)
MASSON APARTMENTS, Sherbrooke Street East at Messier Street, 1933-34 (Montreal , Les Appartements, 1991, 349-51, illus.)
OUTREMONT, pairs of houses for G.F. Carroll & F.J. Cullen, Willowdale Avenue, 1936 (Outremont b.p. 3121, 29 July 1936)