HILL, John Pierce (1849-1921) was active in Montreal, Que. where his best known work was the 'Colonial House', the department store for Henry Morgan & Co., Ste. Catherine Street West, 1889-91. He was one of ten competitors who submitted designs for this commission, an event that was said to have caused an architectural furor when the nine rejected schemes were returned to their owners without comment. His other major work in Montreal was as assured Romanesque Revival design for the warehouse and store for Wells & Richardson Ltd., 1887. He was one of five architects to submit an entry in the competition for the Temple Building, St. James Street, 1888, but his scheme was set aside and Alexander F. Dunlop was later declared the winner (Gazette [Montreal], 11 May 1888, 3).
Hill was born in Boston, Mass. on 13 July 1849 and likely received his education and training there. It is possible that he is the same "John P. Hill, Architect of Baltimore, Maryland" who was one of sixteen architects to submit a design in the first stage of the competition for the Ontario Parliament Building in Toronto in 1880. Hill's scheme was not premiated. (Ontario Ministry of Government Services, A Summary of Archival Material Relating to the History of the Parliament Building, Toronto, 1978, 10-11; inf. from Ms. Fern Bayer). He arrived in Montreal, Que. in 1886 and was active there until early 1888. He moved to Oakland, California after 1900 and the name of "John P. Hill, architect" appears in the City Directory of Oakland from 1910 onward. He died in Oakland on 11 June 1921 (death notice San Francisco Chronicle, 13 June 1921, 6)
(works in Montreal, Que.)
TUPPER STREET, three houses for Mr. Jacques, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 13 Jan. 1887, 2)
GUY STREET, near St. Antoine Street, seven houses for George Bishop, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 13 Jan. 1887, 2)
ST. ANTOINE STREET, at Mountain Street, shop and residence for D. McGarry, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 13 Jan. 1887, 2)
SUSSEX STREET, cottages for Charles M. Johnston, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 13 Jan. 1887, 2)
SUSSEX STREET, double house for Capt. James J. Riley, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 13 Jan. 1887, 2)
SECOND METHODIST CHURCH, Mountain Street at Torrance Street, 1886-87 (Gazette [Montreal], 13 Jan. 1887, 2; Daily Witness [Montreal], 10 May 1902, 13-14, illus. & descrip.)
BISHOP STREET, two houses for Henry Lyman, 1887 (Gazette [Montreal], 17 Jan. 1888, 2; 17 March 1897, 5, a description of house in an Auction advertisement, with credit to the architect)
TORRANCE STREET, four pairs of houses for Mrs. Moses Parker and Mrs. J.H. McKeown, 1887 (Gazette [Montreal], 17 Jan. 1888, 2)
DORCHESTER STREET WEST, near Drummond Street, residence for John T. McBride, 1887 (Gazette [Montreal], 17 Jan. 1888, 2)
ST. ANTOINE STREET, store and dwelling for Benjamin J.R. Deacon, 1887 (Gazette [Montreal], 17 Jan. 1888, 2)
WYLIE'S BAKERY, St. Antoine Street near Canning Street, 1887 (Gazette [Montreal], 17 Jan. 1888, 2)
BELMONT STREET, pair of houses for W. Godbee Brown, 1887 (Gazette [Montreal], 17 Jan. 1888, 2)
WELLS, RICHARDSON & CO., Mountain Street near Osborne Street, a 4 storey warehouse, 1887 (Gazette [Montreal], 17 Jan. 1888, 2; Montreal Daily Star, 16 June 1888, 6, illus. & descrip.)
FRENCH METHODIST INSTITUTE, Greene Avenue, Cote St. Antoine, 1888-89 (Gazette [Montreal], 23 Oct. 1888, 2; C.A.B., ii, Jan. 1889, 9)
HENRY MORGAN & CO., Ste. Catherine Street West at Union Street, department store, a commission won in a competition, 1889-91 (Montreal Daily Star, 28 Feb. 1889, 3; C.A.B., ii, March 1889, 32; Gazette [Montreal], 21 May 1889, 3, descrip.; and 10 Jan. 1890, 3, descrip.; Montreal, Les Magasins Les Cinemas, 1985, 205-09, illus.; dwgs. at the McCord Museum, Montreal)