GREGG, Alfred Holden (1868-1945), the younger brother of William Rufus Gregg, and active in Toronto for most of his professional career. Born in Toronto on 7 May 1868, he was the son of Prof. William H. Gregg of Knox College, and obtained his early education at the Model School, at Jarvis Collegiate, and later attended classes at the Ontario Art School. In 1887, at the age of 19, he joined his brother’s architectural office in Toronto and articled with him, becoming a full partner with him in 1893 (see list of works under W.R. Gregg). Their Toronto office was busy and successful; they opened a branch office in Ottawa in 1895, operated by Alfred H. Gregg, who moved there to handle commissions from clients in eastern Ontario (City of Ottawa Directory, 1895-96, 287). This branch office appears to have closed by late 1896, with Alfred moving back to Toronto.
By 1899, Alfred was said to be operating “…a successful practise in Calumet, Michigan” (Evening Journal [Ottawa], 7 Sept. 1899, 8). After returning to Toronto in 1902 he rejoined his brother in the firm of Gregg & Gregg, but in 1904 he made the decision to form a new partnership with A. Frank Wickson in 1904 (see list of works under Wickson & Gregg). Their collaboration, lasting for more than thirty years, proved to be both prolific and formidable, as they obtained commissions from some of the wealthiest families in the city, including Sir John Craig Eaton, Lieut. Governor Herbert A. Bruce, David A. Dunlap, and Joseph W. Flavelle.
Gregg was a member of the “Diet Kitchen” Group of influential Toronto architects, named after the restaurant on Bloor Street West where they met regularly (Saturday Night Magazine [Toronto], 12 March 1927, 21). He was nominated as a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Inst. of Canada in February 1930. After the death of Frank Wickson in 1936, Gregg formed a new partnership with William Blackwell (1881-1967) of Toronto, but chose to retain the name of his deceased partner in the new firm of Wickson, Gregg & Blackwell (R.A.I.C. Journal, xiv, Jan. 1937, 18). Gregg later died in Toronto on 24 September 1945 (obit. Toronto Telegram, 25 Sept. 1945, 3; Globe & Mail [Toronto], 26 Sept. 1945, 7, with port.; R.A.I.C. Journal, xxiii, Jan. 1946, 18; inf. W. Allan Gregg, Rockwood, Ont.; inf. Paul Gregg, Lexington, Mass.; inf. Ontario Assoc. of Architects). A biography of A.H. Gregg can be found in Stephen Beszedits, Eminent Toronto Architects of the Past, 1983, 106-09.
WICKSON, GREGG & BLACKWELL
SWANSEA, WEST TORONTO, residence for Edward M. Wilcox, Riverside Drive, 1936 (C.H.G., xiv, April 1937, 32, illus)
MILTON, ONT., renovation and remodelling of a 19th C. stone cottage for J.J. Salt, 1938-39 (C.H.G., xvii, Jan-Feb. 1940, 34, illus.)
COMPETITIONS
“Design for a Country Railway Station”, 1890. A.H. Gregg received the Second Prize for his design submitted in a competition organized by the Toronto Architectural Sketch Club (C.A.B., iii, March 1890, 28, illus.). His design was subsequently published in the Chicago architectural journal Inland Architect, xv, May 1890, illus. plate).
“Design for a Summer Cottage”, 1890. A.H. Gregg again received a Second Premium, this time for his drawings submitted in another competition for the Toronto Architectural Sketch Club (C.A.B., iii, May 1890, 53, illus.)