MOORES, Charles Henry (1874-1931) and John M. DUNFORD (fl. 1924-36) were active in New York City where they maintained an office as 'architects and engineers' (J. Ward, Architects in Practice New York City 1900-1940, 1989, 55). They specialized in the design of reinforced concrete warehouse structures, and are credited with two major projects in Canada. Both were intended for dry storage, and for cold storage of perishable goods being shipped through the two transportation hubs of Toronto and Montreal. In an advertisement for bond funding for the Toronto project in 1926, Moores & Dunford stated that "....During the past 19 years, we have acted as architects and consulting engineers on some 200 warehouses", an indication that they were active since 1907, and were among the first industrial architects to introduce reinforced concrete technology to North American construction projects (Montreal Daily Star, 16 March 1926, 26, advert.).
Their first Canadian project, located on the waterfront in Toronto, commenced construction in May 1926 and comprised nearly 950,000 square feet of floor area within the shell of the eight storey complex. The building was large enough to accommodate two dedicated railway lines which ran through the entire first floor of the structure. In 1979-83 the building was converted and renamed Queen's Quay Terminal, a major retail, commercial and residential complex by Zeidler/Roberts Architects of Toronto (Christian W. Thomsen, Eberhard Zeidler: In Search of Human Space, 1992, 208-16, illus. & descrip.)
The project in Montreal was smaller in scale, and consisted of a substantial 10 storey utilitarian warehouse with 600,000 square feet of floor space. The building was constructed in record time throughout the Montreal winter of 1926-27. A similar warehouse structure, designed by Albert Kahn, was built in Detroit in 1926-27 and Moores & Dunford served as consulting engineers for this complex. A detailed article on the construction of all three warehouse buildings in Detroit, Toronto and Montreal appeared in Engineering News-Record [New York], xcviii, 5 May 1927, 730-33, illus. & descrip.). Charles Henry Moores was a native of Columbus, Ohio, born there on 25 October 1874, but no information has been found on his education and training. He died in New York City on 7 June 1931, but his business partner remained active until 1936.
TORONTO, ONT., Canadian Rail & Harbours Terminal Warehouse, Queen's Quay West at York Street, 1926-27; still standing in 2023 (Toronto Daily Star, 7 April 1926, 2, illus. & descrip.; Canadian Engineer [Toronto], li, 10 Aug. 1926, 192-6, illus. & descrip.; and lii, 7 June 1927, 567-9, illus. & descrip.; C.R., xli, 8 June 1927, 576-80, illus. & descrip.; Const., xx, March 1927, 98-102, illus. & descrip.; R.A.I.C.Journal, iv, April 1927, xv, illus. in advert.)
MONTREAL, QUE., Montreal Rail & Water Terminals Warehouse, Craig Street at Wolfe Street, a 10 storey warehouse block, 1926-27 (Canadian Engineer [Toronto], lii, 31 May 1927, 555-7, illus. & descrip.; and 18 Oct. 1927, 457-60, illus. & descrip.; Montreal Daily Star, 20 Aug. 1927, 28, illus. & descrip.; C.R., xli, 21 Sept. 1927, 961-73, illus. & descrip.)
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., Day & Meyer and Murray & Young Storage Warehouse, Second Avenue near East 61st. Street, a 15 storey warehouse, 1928 (New York Times, 28 Oct. 2011, Metropolitan Section, essay by Mark Lamster, illus. & descrip.)