RAYMOND, Thomas (1853-1923), a pupil of Francois Xavier Berlinguet, was active in Quebec City for over forty years. He designed a variety of commercial, industrial and residential projects there, but much of his career was devoted to serving various Roman Catholic dioceses throughout Canada, and his ecclesiastical works can be found in Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec and as far west as Saskatchewan. Born at Riviere Blanche in the county of Matane, Quebec on 15 January 1853, he was educated there and moved to Quebec City after his marriage in 1874. He began work as a carpenter, and later obtained a position as a young assistant in the architectural office F.X. Berlinguet, a leading ecclesiastical architect in Quebec City in the latter half of the 19th C. He spent several years in the office with Berlinguet before opening a studio under his own name in Quebec City in May 1881.
In many of his designs for institutional and commercial work in Quebec City, Raymond employed a variety of eclectic styles ranging from a modest Renaissance Revival style for the Giguere Block (1896) to a reserved and simplified Beaux-Arts style employed for the Jacques Cartier Roman Catholic School (1907-08). He was competent, though not a particularly adventurous designer, and for his ecclesiastical works in small towns in southern Quebec and New Brunswick, he remained a faithful adherent to a plain Gothic style throughout his career, and never appeared to waiver from this formulae. Raymond also holds a unique position as the designer of festival settings for public celebrations in Quebec City. In December 1893 he prepared the plans for the elaborate Ice Palace at the St. Louis Gate for the Quebec Winter Carnival, and two years later, in November 1895, he was again called upon for designs of the Ice Tower for the Carnival. These ephemeral structures stood for only a few months until they melted away. In 1908, Raymond assisted with the 300th Anniversary Celebrations of the City of Quebec by preparing plans for two large outdoor stages erected on the Dufferin Terrace. These were later dismantled at the end of 1908.
Raymond was one of the founding members of the Province of Quebec Association of Architects in December 1890. He was a respected member of that organization, and was elected by his colleagues to serve as President of the P.Q.A.A. in 1910. He continued to work alone, and then in collaboration with his son Edward Pierre Raymond (1884-1941). The last work completed by Raymond was the Gothic design of St. James Roman Catholic Church in Albertville, Saskatchewan in 1921-22 (still standing 2016). Raymond died in Quebec City on 26 February 1923 at the age of 70 years (death notice in L’Evenement [Quebec City], 28 Feb. 1923, page 11; inf. ANQ, Member’s Register for the Province of Quebec Assoc. of Architects). A small collection of architectural drawings by Thomas Raymond and his son E.P. Raymond can be found at the Archives Nationales du Quebec on the campus of Laval University in Ste. Foy, Quebec City. A photographic portrait of Raymond is held at the P.Q.A.A. office in Montreal.
QUEBEC CITY
ROBITAILLE & GUIMONT LTD., St. Joseph Street at Caron Street, retail store, 1889 (C.A.B., ii, Feb. 1889, 20; Quebec City b.p. 4109, 26 Jan. 1889, and several subsequent permits 4114, 4122, 4145, 4149, 4189, 4242, 4250, dated January 1889 to May 1889)
VILLENEUVE & FRERE, St. Valier Street, major addition to store for Charles Villeneuve, 1889 (Quebec City b.p. 1557, 1558, 17 July 1889)
CARON STREET, at St. Joseph Street, residence for Cyrille Robitaille, 1890 (Quebec City b.p. 12008, 12009, 20 Jan. 1890)
DORCHESTER STREET, at St. Joseph Street, two stores for Jean Plamondon, 1890 (Quebec City b.p. 12268, 10 March 1890)
A.B. DUPUIS BISCUITS CO., St. Paul Street, wholesale store, 1891 (C.A.B., iv, March 1891, 31)
CHARLEVOIX STREET, residence for Mrs. P. A. Belanger, 1892 (Quebec City b.p. 3532, 20 Feb. 1892)
DE LA CHAPELLE STREET, residence for Joseph B. Picard, 1892 (Quebec City b.p. 4724, 6 April 1892)
CHENIER STREET, residence for Joseph Ernest Campagna, 1893 (Quebec City b.p. 341, 18 Sept. 1893)
ICE PALACE, at the St. Louis Gate, for the Committee of Construction of the Carnival of Quebec, 1893-94 (Quebec City b.p. 6079, 20 Dec. 1893)
ST. JOSEPH STREET, commercial building for Louis Charles Giguere, 1895 (Quebec City b.p. 7514, 7515, 8 Oct. 1895; Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 11 Oct. 1895)
ICE TOWER, for the Quebec Winter Carnival, 1895-96 (C.R., vi, 14 Nov. 1895, 2)
A. PION & CO., Caron Street, major addition to factory, 1896 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 12 June 1896)
DORCHESTER STREET, at Prince Edouard Street, residence for Alphonse Moreels, 1896 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 12 June 1896; C.R., vii, 18 June 1896, 2)
CHARLES A. PARENT CO., St. Marguerite Street at St. Helen Street, warehouse, 1896 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 6 Nov. 1896; C.R., vii, 12 Nov. 1896, 3)
PARC VICTORIA AVENUE, residence for Joseph E. Trepanier, 1897 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 15 April 1897; C.R., viii, 22 April 1897, 4)
A. PION & CO., Prince Edward Street, major addition to factory, 1898 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 3 June 1898; C.R., ix, 6 July 1898, 4)
CONGREGATION CHURCH, in St. Roch, reconstruction of the facade, 1898 (C.R., ix, 16 Feb. 1898, 3)
ST. VALLIER STREET, addition to residence for Mrs. J.F.E. Plamandon, 1898 (Quebec City .b.p. 9746, 11 Aug. 1898)
DE LA COURONNE STREET, major alterations and rebuilding of residence for J. Napolean St. Pierre, 1899 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 17 March 1899)
HOSPICE STE. ANNE [or HOSPICE STE. ANTOINE], in St. Roch, major addition, 1900 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 6 July 1900)
CARON STREET, at Notre Dame des Anges, residence for Dr. Albert Jobin, 1901-02 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 27 Dec. 1901)
J. B. LALIBERTE CO., Des Fosses Street, six storey commercial block, 1901-02 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 27 Dec. 1901)
JACQUES CARTIER PARISH, St. Roch, addition of a rectory, 1902 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 25 July 1902)
ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Langlier Boulevard at Notre Dame des Anges, 1907 (S. Thivierge, Inventaire des marches de construction des actes notaires de la ville de Quebec 1900-1920, 89)
DUFFERIN TERRACE, two large outdoor stages in front of the Champlain Monument for the 300th Anniversary Celebration of Quebec, 1908 (S. Thivierge, Inventaire des marches de construction des actes notaires de la ville de Quebec 1900-1920, 138)
ST. JOSEPH STREET, store and house for Mr. Bartrand, 1913 (Quebec City b.p. 178, 8 Sept. 1913)
ST. NAZAIRE STREET, residence for Arthur Laforce, 1914 (Quebec City b.p. 398, 22 April 1914)
LA CIE G. SIMARD, Dorchester Street at du Roi Street, retail store, 1917, 1922 (Quebec City b.p. 3170, 17 March 1917; 6937, 16 May 1922)
PRINCE EDOUARD STREET, tenement for Joseph Villeneuve, 1917 (Quebec City b.p. 3581, 4 July 1917)
ELSEWHERE
ST. PETER'S BAY, P.E.I., Roman Catholic Church, 1883, with completion of the interiors, and a new altar, 1886-87; burned 1926, and later rebuilt (Daily Guardian [Charlottetown], 29 May 1883, advert. by Thomas Raymond for carpenters; Daily Examiner [Charlottetown], 25 May 1887, 3, t.c.; Catholic Weekly Review [Toronto], 3 Dec. 1887, 501; Charlottetown Guardian, 31 July 1917, 7, descrip.; inf. Harry T. Holman, Charlottetown)
ST. TERESA, P.E.I, St. Cuthbert's Roman Catholic Church, Cardigan Road, 1884-86; dismantled 1912 and replaced by new church designed by William C. Harris (Daily Examiner [Charlottetown], 18 Oct. 1884, 2, with reference to "....plans drawn by Mr. Romeo [sic], Architect of St. Peter's, P.E.I.", perhaps a reference to Mr. Raymond, Architect; inf. Harry T. Holman, Charlottetown)
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I., St. Dunstan's Roman Catholic College, Malpeque Road, proposal for major additions and alterations to the existing College originally built in 1854-55, with a new central facade, galleries, a new dome, and new east and west wings, designed by Raymond c. 1890, but not built (University of Prince Edward Island, Prints & Drawings Coll., original drawings by Thomas Raymond)
MONTMORENCY FALLS, QUE., St. Gregoire Roman Catholic Church, 1896-97 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 12 June 1896; C.R., vii, 18 June 1896, 2; 17 Dec. 1896, 3; Canadian Engineer [Montreal], iv, Jan. 1897, 272)
MONTMAGNY, QUE., building for A. Belanger, 1899 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 17 March 1899)
SHIPPAGAN, N.B., St. Jerome Roman Catholic Church, 1901-02 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 27 Dec. 1901)
SHAWINIGAN, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1902 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 25 July 1902)
GRANDE VALLEE, QUE., St. Francois Xavier Roman Catholic Church, c. 1903; interiors completed in 1924-29 by Pierre Levesque (Continuite [Quebec City], No. 47, Spring 1991, 42)
ST. LEON LE GRAND, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1908 (St. Leon le Grand 1907-1982, 61, illus.)
ST. ISIDORE, N.B., Roman Catholic Church, 1908 (J. Leroux, Building New Brunswick-An Architectural History, 2008, 126, illus.)
LA MARTRE, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1912-14 (Continuite [Quebec City], No. 47, Spring 1991, 41)
ST, HUBERT, QUE., interiors of the Roman Catholic Church, 1914 (Le Semaine Commerciale [Quebec City], 20 Feb. 1914)
GRANDE RIVIERE, QUE., enlargment and completion of the Roman Catholic Church begun in 1893-94 by David Ouellet, 1915 (Continuite [Quebec City], No. 47, Spring 1991, 43)
TOURELLE, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1915-16 (Continuite [Quebec City], No. 47, Spring 1991, 41)
ST. EDOUARD, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1916 (C.R., xxx, 14 June 1916, 84)
ST. NORBERT DE CAP CHAT, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1916 (C.R., xxx, 16 Aug. 1916, 65, t.c.)
AMQUI, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1917 (C.R., xxxi, 7 March 1917, 44)
ST. ANNE DES MONTS, QUE., Roman Catholic Church, 1919-25; burned 1939; rebuilt by Louis N. Audet (Continuite [Quebec], No. 47, Spring 1991, 41)
ALBERTVILLE, SASK., St. James Roman Catholic Church, 1921-22 (From Bush to Grain: History of Albertville, Meath Park & District, 1984; M. Hryniuk & F. Korvemaker, Legacy of Worship: Sacred Places in Rural Saskatchewan, 2014, 48-9, illus.)