PHILLIPS, Thomas (1778-1842) was an important land developer, businessman and architect active in Montreal, Que. Born in Woodbury, Co. Devonshire, England, he arrived in Lower Canada about 1808 and took up the brewing business. He advertised himself as 'Architecte et Platrier' in 1813 when he formed a partnership with Joseph Chevalier (Montreal Gazette, 10 August 1813, 3). The collaboration lasted four years, and by late 1817 Phillips had begun to advertise under his own name as 'Architect, Surveyor and Measurer', and offering a detailed outline of how '...Elegance, Uniformity, Frugality and Consequence will be strictly attended to in all his designs' (Montreal Gazette, 20 Dec. 1817, 3, advert).
In 1821 he prepared plans and supervised the construction of the central block of the Montreal General Hospital, and his plans were later followed for two additions to this building, the East Wing (Richardson Wing) 1831-32, and the West Wing (Reid Wing) 1848. He was paid £ 50.00 for his drawings, a sum he later donated to the hospital construction fund. His experience with hospital design was called upon in Kingston, Ont. when he assisted the Kingston General Hospital Commissioners with obtaining plans for their new building in 1832 (Upper Canada Herald [Kingston], 10 Oct. 1832, 3). The design by Thomas Rogers was later selected in 1833, likely on the recommendation of Phillips.
By 1825 Phillips was active in a variety of business concerns, and he advertised that he was 'relinquishing the Grocery business in favour of Henry Phillips, and begs to inform the public that he will devote his principal attention to the brewery business as the St. Lawrence Brewery' (Montreal Gazette, 8 Oct. 1825, 1, advert). Phillips played a role in the construction of the Rideau Canal in 1827-30, and acted as the builder of the Black Rapids locks, and the Long Island Rapids locks. Colonel John By was said to have thought highly of Phillips, but found him to have 'a testy disposition' (NAC, RG8, C. Series, Vol. 51, 75-76). By 1830 Phillips had returned to Montreal, investing heavily in real estate including a substantial tract of land extending from the north-west edge of the Old City all the way northward up to the foot of Mount Royal. By 1840 Phillips had drawn up plans for subdivision of this land with a sophisticated layout of streets and parks. The focal point was an elegant square laid out with cross paths and meandering walkways resembling the squares of West End London (which likely had inspired Phillips). After his death in 1842 the plan was reworked by William Footner who, in 1844, retained two key elements, Phillips Square and Beaver Hall Square, which are still present in the street grid of Montreal. An unsigned ink and watercolour drawing of the entire estate, likely prepared by Phillips, can be found in the collections of the Chateau de Ramezay. Phillips died in Philadelphia, Penn. on 10 June 1842 (obituary Montreal Transcript, 16 June 1842, 2; Montreal Gazette, 18 June 1842, 2; biog. W.H. Atherton, Montreal from 1535 to 1914, 1914, Vol. iii, 434; inf. Robert Lemire, Montreal; Stephen Otto, Toronto).
MONTREAL GENERAL HOSPITAL, Dorchester Street, 1821; with additions 1831-32, and 1848; all demol. c. 1956 (Canadian Courant [Montreal], 9 June 1821, 2; Montreal Gazette, 13 June 1821, 1; N. Bosworth, Hochelaga Depicta, 1839, 127-29, descript.; Montreal Daily Star, 10 April 1909, 13, historical article on the hospital; H.E. MacDermot, A History of the Montreal General Hospital, 1950, 10, 13, illus. & descript.; L. d'Iberville-Moreau, Lost Montreal, 1975, 108, illus.)
CRAIG STREET, residence for an unidentified owner, 1821 (Montreal Herald, 10 Feb. 1821, 3, t.c.)