PRACK, Frederick (1882-1961), brother of Bernard H. Prack, was born in Pittsburgh, Penn. on 17 November 1882 and educated in high school there. He had no formal education in architecture, and first worked as draftsman in the Construction Dept. of Westinghouse Ltd. in Pittsburgh in 1907-10. He came to Canada in 1910 to assist his brother in overseeing the construction of the Oliver Chilled Plow Co. in Hamilton (designed by Prack & Perrine) and continued to work as a site engineer with that company until 1918. In 1919 he became an employee and partner in his brother's Hamilton office, and in 1928 the firm was renamed Prack & Prack, Architects & Engineers. When Bernard Prack left Canada and returned to Pittsburgh in 1936, Frederick invited his son Alvin R. Prack, a recent graduate of the School of Architecture at the Univ. of Toronto, to join the firm. That new office, also called Prack & Prack, remained active in Canada until 1979. Frederick Prack died in Hamilton on 14 April 1961 (obit. Spectator [Hamilton], 14 April 1961, 7; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxxviii, May 1961, 80-1; inf. Ontario Assoc. of Architects; Province of Quebec Assoc. of Architects). The National Archives of Canada holds an extensive collection of architectural drawings prepared by the firms of Prack & Perrine, by Bernard H. Prack, and by Prack & Prack from 1911 to 1980 (NAC Acc. 86703/1).
PRACK & PRACK (consisting of Frederick Prack and his son Alvin Prack)
(works in Hamilton unless noted)
BRANTFORD, ONT., Canadian Durex Abrasives Ltd., Greenwich Street, major addition to factory, 1937; addition, 1941 (C.R., vol. 50, 27 Jan. 1937, 31; and liv, 13 Aug. 1941, 30)
DOMINION FOUNDRIES & STEEL LTD., Depew Street, storage and inspection building, 1937 (C.R., vol. 50, 7 April 1937, 37)
STANLEY STEEL CO., Gerrard Street, office block and mill extension, 1941 (C.R., liv, 5 March 1941, 34)
CHIPPAWA, ONT., men's dormitory for the Norton Co. Ltd., 1942 (C.R., lv, 26 Aug. 1942, 24, t.c.; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxi, May 1944, 100, illus.)
H.H. ROBERTSON CO. LTD., Parkdale Avenue North, factory, 1945 (C.R., xviii, Oct. 1945, 132; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxv, April 1948, 122-3, illus.)
KITCHENER, ONT., major addition to factory for Dominion Tire Co., Strange Street, 1945 (C.R., lviii, June 1945, 76)
WESTON, ONT., addition to factory for Moffat's Ltd., Denison Road, 1945 (C.R., lviii, June 1945, 77)
ST. THOMAS, ONT., factory for Timken Roller Bearing Co., Talbot Street, 1945 (Financial Post [Toronto], 24 March 1945, 20; C.R., lviii, July 1945, 98)
TORONTO, ONT., Standard Sanitary & Dominion Radiator Co., Dufferin Street at Lappin Avenue, major addition to factory, 1946; office building 1947; addition to pottery building, 1950 (Toronto b.p. 90253, 17 June 1946; b.p. 6750, 23 March 1950; C.R., lx, Sept. 1947, 174)
IRVINGTON VARNISH & INSULATION CO. LTD., Burlington Road East, factory, 1946 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxiii, Oct. 1946, 258, illus.)
GREENING WIRE CO., Queen Street North, major additions to factory, 1946 (C.R., lix, April 1946, 148)
TORONTO, ONT., Mine Safety Appliances Co., Kendal Avenue, factory, 1946-47 (C.R., lix, Dec. 1946, 76; Financial Post [Toronto], 7 June 1947, 10)
HAMILTON GENERAL HOSPITAL, Barton Street East at Victoria Avenue North, addition of the Cooper Wing, 1947 (inf. from Alvin R. Prack)
PRACK & PRACK ARCHITECTS, professional offices for Prack & Prack, Architects, Main Street East, 1948 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xx, Oct. 1948, 370, illus.)
DELTA SECONDARY SCHOOL, Main Street East at Graham Avenue North, major addition, 1948 (inf. from Hamilton Public School Board)
LONDON, ONT., factory for Eaton-Wilcox-Rich Auto Parts Ltd., Highbury Avenue, 1949 (C.R., lxii, July 1949, 137; Financial Post [Toronto], 17 June 1950, 17, descrip.)
DOMINION FASTENERS LTD., Parkdale Avenue North, factory, 1950-51 (Financial Post [Toronto], 27 May 1950, 10; C.R., lxiii, June 1950, 129)
NIAGARA FALLS, ONT., major addition to factory for Canadian Cellucotton Products Co., Victoria Avenue, 1950 (C.R., lxiii, July 1950, 128)
HAMILTON BUS TERMINAL, Rebecca Street at John Street North, for Grey Coach Lines and Canada Coach Lines, 1954-55; demol. Jan. 2022 (City of Hamilton, Documentation & Salvage Report, April 2017, 7; inf. Robert Hamilton, of Hamilton, Ont.)
WELLAND, ONT., Atlas Stainless Steels Ltd., new head office building, 1957-58 (Financial Post [Toronto], 20 Dec. 1958, 44, illus. and descrip. in advert.)
WENTWORTH COUNTY COURT HOUSE, Main Street East at John Street South, 1957-58; restored 2017-19 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xxxv, Sept. 1958, 346-49, illus. & descrip.;)