HUNTER, John Marshall (1881-1942) was born in Lennoxtown, Stirlingshire, near Glasgow, Scotland on 6 March 1881 and articled with David W. Sturrock, a local architect in that city, from August 1899 to August 1903. He then joined the prominent local firm of Clarke & Bell, and worked as principal assistant to George Bell Jr. (1854-1915) from August 1903 to November 1910. During this period, he studied architecture at the Glasgow School of Art, and at the Technical College before becoming a member of the Glasgow Inst. of Architects. Hunter emigrated to Canada in November 1910 and settled at Montreal where he found a position in the Architectural Dept. of the Canadian Pacific Railway, working under the direct supervision of Walter S. Painter, Chief Architect of the C.P.R.. In July 1911 he applied to join the Royal Institute of British Architects, and continued to work in Montreal for various firms until 1913.
In March 1913 a major fire destroyed St. Dunstan’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Charlottetown, P.E.I., which had originally been designed by the Quebec City firm of Berlinguet & Lemay in 1896-97. Hunter may have been working for a local Montreal architectural firm that had been given the commission to oversee the reconstruction of the Cathedral; if so, it is likely that this firm may have been called upon Hunter to represent them for the rebuilding effort. Hunter moved to Charlottetown in 1914 and spent much of the next five years supervising the reconstruction. He opened his own office there, and in April 1915 he was invited by the prominent local architect Charles B. Chappell to form a partnership with him (see list of works under Chappell & Hunter).
After the death of Chappell in October 1931, Hunter continued the work of the firm, operating under the joint name of the former partnership, but all projects after this date can be attributed solely to Hunter. He died in Charlottetown on 2 July 1942 (obit. Charlottetown Guardian, 3 July 1942, 8; Royal Inst. of British Architects, London, Application for Membership No. 1358, dated 20 July 1911; biog. Prominent People of the Maritime Provinces, 1922, 88; biog. J.S. Smith, The Historic Houses of Prince Edward Island, 1990, 43-4; R.I.B.A., Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, 2001, Vol. 1, 983). A photographic portrait of Hunter was published in the Charlottetown Guardian, 25 Sept. 1919, 1. The Provincial Archives of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown holds a small collection of architectural drawings prepared by Hunter during the period from 1932 to 1941.
(works in Charlottetown)
BISHOP’S PALACE, Great George Street, addition of the north wing, 1913-14 (Irene Rogers, Charlottetown, 1983, 115)
ST. DUNSTAN’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CATHEDRAL, Great George Street, rebuilding after the fire of March 1913, begun 1914 and completed 1919 (Island Patroit [Charlottetown], 24 Sept. 1919; Charlottown Patriot, 25 Sept. 1919, 1, 9 and 10, illus.; Charlottetown Guardian, 25 Dec. 1914, 1 & 3, descrip.; and 25 Sept. 1919, 1 & 9, descrip.; and 3 Jan. 1920, 9, descrip.; Evening Mail [Halifax], 25 Sept. 1919, 5, descrip.; Montreal Daily Star, 27 Sept. 1919, 8, detailed descrip.; Irene Rogers, Charlottetown, 1983, 115-16, illus.; H.M. Scott Smith, Historic Churches of Prince Edward Island, 1986, 44, 52-3, illus.)
HOLY REDEEMER ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1929, also called "the basement church" (Charlottetown Guardian, 24 Dec. 1929, 1, descrip.)
THE QUEEN'S BUILDING, Queen Street, reconstruction and new interiors of a commercial building heavily damaged by fire on 30 Dec. 1931, for T.B. Riley & D.J. Riley, 1932 (Charlottetown Guardian, 8 April 1932, 6, descrip.)
BRACE BUILDING, Queen Street, begun 1930; completed 1933 (Charlottetown Guardian, 20 Aug. 1930, 2, t.c.; 21 Dec. 1933, 5, descrip.)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE, Pond Road at Park Roadway, extensive remodelling and renovations to the residence of the Lieutenant Governor, 1931 (Charlottetown Guardian, 4 Sept. 1931, 6, descrip.)
RILEY BLOCK, Queen Street, store and factory for D.J. Riley, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 20 Jan. 1932, 45; dwgs. PAPEI)
KENT STREET, at Edward Street, double house for H. Dorion, 1933 (dwgs. PAPEI)
BANK OF MONTREAL, Grafton Street near Queen Street, 1933; rebuilt c. 1965 (dwgs. PAPEI)
PHILLIPS BUILDING, Grafton Street, stores for H.J. Phillips, 1933-34 (Charlottetown Guardian, 25 Jan. 1934, 7, illus. & descrip.; dwgs. PAPEI)
NORTH RIVER ROAD, duplex residence for Harry Cudmore, 1936-37 (dwgs. PAPEI)
FITZROY STREET, residence for James S. Walker, 1937 (dwgs. PAPEI)
EUSTON STREET, residence for Mrs. E.D. Gillis, 1938 (dwgs. PAPEI)
NURSE’S HOME & STAFF RESIDENCE, North River Road at McGill Avenue, at the Provincial Sanatorium, 1938 (Charlottetown Guardian, 24 Dec. 1938, 14; dwgs. PAPEI)
BEACH GROVE INN., 1939 (dwgs. PAPEI)
BRUCE STEWART & CO., Queen Street, retail store, 1940 (dwgs. PAPEI)
(works elsewhere)
KELLY’S CROSS, P.E.I., St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 1915 (C.R., xxix, 17 March 1915, 53, t.c.)
SOURIS, P.E.I., restoration and reconstruction of St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, 1928 (H.M. Scott Smith, Historic Churches of Prince Edward Island, 1986, 89-90, illus.)
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I., major addition of the East Wing to the High School, 1932, with rebuilding of the central portion of the school after the fire of June 1935 (C.R., xlix, 11 Sept. 1935, 32; Charlottetown Guardian, 22 May 1936, 9, descrip.; J. MacFayden, For The Sake of The Record, 1981, 127; dwgs. PAPEI)
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I., residence for C.E. Corney, 1934 (dwgs. PAPEI)
SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I., Canadian National Silver Fox Breeder’s Association, 1937 (dwgs. PAPEI)
SACKVILLE, N.B., a Tourist Information Office for Prince Edward Island, at the junction of the Sackville-Amherst Highway and the Aulac-Tormentine Road, 1938 (Charlottetown Guardian, 31 Aug. 1938, 3)
TEA HILL, P.E.I., club house for Presley & MacNeill, 1941
ANTIGONISH, N.S., St. Martha’s Roman Catholic Hospital, addition, 1941-42 (list of works in obituary in The Casket (Antigonish), 9 July 1942, 14)