TRIMBLE, John Alexander (1855-1928), an architect active in Brampton, Ont from 1890 to 1897, and later in Medicine Hat, Alberta from 1898 to 1915. Born in Ontario on 13 March 1855 in Mono Township, he learned the building trades there and was listed as a house builder in Brampton in 1891. By 1895 he had begun to style himself as an “architect”, and his name can be linked to projects in Peel County and in Wellington County. For unknown reasons he left Ontario in 1898 and he moved to Medicine Hat, Alberta where he continued to practise as an architect, at first under his own name, and later in partnership with George M. Hay, as Trimble & Hay (Medicine Hat City Directory, 1914, 363). In 1905 he was one of five architects who submitted designs in the competition for the City Hall in Medicine Hat (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 27 May 1905, 29, report on the competition). His design was passed over in favour of the winning scheme by his rival William T. Williams, also of Medicine Hat. Trimble appears to have moved to British Columbia after 1925, and he may be the same “John Alexander Trimble” who died at New Westminster, B.C. on 11 June 1928.
(works in Ontario)
GRAHAMSVILLE, ONT., a brick school house for School Section No. 24, 1895 (C.R., vi, 28 March 1895, 2, t.c.)
GUELPH, ONT., McLean & McLean Block, Douglas Street, 1896 (Guelph Daily Mercury, 28 Oct. 1896, 1, descrip.; C.A.B., x, Feb. 1897, 37)
GUELPH, ONT., Wellington County Registry Office, large addition, 1897 (C.R., viii, 25 March 1897, 2, t.c.; Guelph Daily Mercury, 27 Oct. 1897, 1)
(works in Medicine Hat, Alberta)
ASSINIBOIA HOTEL, 3rd Street near South Railway Street, for H.H. Ross, 1898 (Medicine Hat News, 15 Dec. 1898, 1, illus. and extensive architectural description)
OPERA HOUSE BLOCK, Toronto Street, a three storey commercial block for Marshall & Hunter, 1902 (Medicine Hat News, 17 April 1902, 1, descrip.; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 26 April 1902, 6, descrip; C.R., xiii, 7 May 1902, 2, descrip.)
MITCHELL BLOCK, Toronto Street, for Robert Mitchell, 1902 (Medicine Hat News, 17 April 1902, 1, descrip.)
3rd STREET NORTH, near 1st Avenue North, residence for Dr. John C. Hargrave “…on the north side of the river”, 1902 (Medicine Hat News, 17 April 1902, 1; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 26 April 1902, 6; C.R., xiii, 7 May 1902, 2)
PUBLIC MARKET HALL, 4th Street, between South Railway Street and 6th Avenue, 1909 (Medicine Hat News, 18 March 1909, 2, t.c.)
MASONIC TEMPLE, Montreal Street, between 4th Avenue and 5th Avenue, 1909 (Medicine Hat News, 7 Oct. 1909, 1, descrip.)
THE COUSINS BLOCK, 4th Avenue near Toronto Street, for William Cousins, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 7 June 1911, 66; 5 July 1911, 64)
(with David Ewart, Ottawa) POST OFFICE & CUSTOMS HOUSE, Main Street at 4th Avenue, major addition, 1914-15 (C.R., xxviii, 16 Dec. 1914, 57, t.c.)