HESSON, Lionel Ashton (1890-1973) of St. Catharines, Ont. was born there on 20 February 1890 and educated at St. Catharines Collegiate. He trained under the leading architect of the town, A.E. Nicholson from 1907 to 1913, then moved to Toronto to work as a draftsman in the provincial Dept. of Public Works (1913-16) and for the Hydro Electric Power Commission of Ontario (1916-18) where he learned new techniques in reinforced concrete construction of powerhouses. He moved to Cleveland in 1920 to work with H.K. Ferguson, then returned to the Niagara Peninsula where, for the next fifteen years, he worked for Nicholson & MacBeth (1923-25), for Norman Kearns (1927-28) and for W.J. Walsh (1929-31). He opened his own office during the Depression in 1935, at first under his own name, then briefly partnership in 1937-38 with John H. Collins. He continued to practise in a one room office until after 1950, and died in St. Catharines on 30 May 1973 (obituary in St. Catharines Standard, 31 May 1973, 2; Architecture Canada, July 1973, 7; inf. Ontario Assoc. of Architects)
L.J. HESSON
MERRITTON HIGH SCHOOL, Seymour Avenue at Merritt Street, 1934-35 (Hi-Lites: Merritton [High School] Centennial Edition 1974-75, 16; Tim Morawetz, Art Deco Architecture Across Canada, 2017, 102, illus. & descrip.)
CHURCH OF THE DIVINE REVELATION, James Street, rectory for the church, 1937 (St. Catherines b.p. 2005)
HESSON & COLLINS
HAYNES AVENUE, building for James J. Dillon, 1937 (St. Catharines b.p. 5022)
LIGHTNING FASTENER CO. LTD., Niagara Street at Davidson Street, factory, 1937 (St. Catharines b.p. 1025.2)
L.J. HESSON
FIRE HALL NO. 2, Lake Street, 1942 (St. Catherines b.p. 4010)
COURT STREET, residence and salon for Clair R. Kunselman, 1942 (C.R., lv, 13 May 1942, 29, t.c.)
HAIG STREET, at Vale Avenue, building for S. Asadorian, 1946 (St. Catharines b.p. 5021, 1946)
CANADIAN LEGION HALL, Church Street, c. 1947 (St. Catharines b.p. 3022.1)
ADAM STREET, residence for F.E. Hetherington, c. 1948 (St. Catharines b.p. 5001)
THAIRS AVENUE, residence for Morton Revzen, c. 1948 (St. Catharines b.p. 5105)
ROCKCLIFFE ROAD, residence for Reginald Ecclestone, c. 1949 (St. Catharines b.p. 5056)