HORTON, William Tucker (1840-1926) was active as an architect in Halifax, N.S. from 1889. Born in Ivybridge, Co. Devon, England on 11 November 1840, he emigrated to Canada in 1863 and settled in Nova Scotia where he learned the building trades and worked as a carpenter and builder. From 1889 he began to describe himself as an architect, at first under his own name, and then in partnership with William T. Whiteway in 1898-1900 (see list of works under Whiteway & Horton). This partnership was dissolved in April 1900 (Halifax Herald, 10 May 1900, 4). When Whiteway moved to British Columbia, Horton joined William C. Harris, whose architectural office was located in the same building as Whiteway & Horton. Their new firm of Harris & Horton prospered, receiving major commissions for institutional, ecclesiastical, commercial and residential projects throughout Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island during the period from 1901 to 1913 (see list of works by Harris & Horton under William C. Harris).
The untimely death of W.C. Harris in July 1913 necessitated the formation of a new business, which Horton then formed with James E. Harris, a nephew of W.C. Harris. They appear to have operated two separate offices, one in Charlottetown (run by J.E. Harris), and one in Halifax (run by W. T. Horton). Virtually all of the commissions by the firm of Harris & Horton in Halifax after 1915 were designed by Horton, and this arrangement continued for the next decade until the death of Horton at the age of 86 years. He died in Halifax on 27 April 1926 (obituary Acadian Recorder [Halifax], 27 April 1926, 3; obituary Halifax Herald, 28 April 1926, 10; biog. in M. Rosinski, Architects of Nova Scotia: A Biographical Dictionary 1605-1950, 1994, 209-10). The Public Archives of Nova Scotia holds a small collection of blueprints and drawings by Harris & Horton, Architects.
(works in Halifax)
ST. JULIAN HOTEL & RESTAURANT, for Joseph P. Marr, 1889 (Morning Herald [Halifax], 2 Aug. 1889, 2, descrip. in advert. and "Card of Thanks")
SPRING GARDEN ROAD, between Queen Street and Birmingham Street, a three storey commercial block of stores and dwellings for Michael Power, 1892 (Morning Herald [Halifax], 5 Jan. 1892, 8, descrip.)
SUMMER STREET, row houses at No. 2, No. 4 and No. 6 Summer Street, for Havelock McColl Hart, 1894 (fees paid to an unnamed architect for $157.85, for plans identical to houses adjacent at No. 8 and No. 10 Summer Street)
SUMMER STREET, row houses at No. 8 and No. 10 Summer Street, for Havelock McColl Hart, 1896-97; demol. (PANS, MG 1 Vol. 2122, No. 1, H.M. Hart Notebook, payment of fees of 2% to W.T. Horton, architect)
ARGYLE STREET, store and warehouse for Frank Reardon, 1898 (inf. Gary Shutlak, PANS; building permit records)
(works by Harris & Horton, as prepared by William T. Horton)
CORNWALLIS STREET, at Creighton Street, store and residence for Mrs. Catherine Tynan, 1915 (inf. Gary Shutlak, PANS)
YOUNG AVENUE, between Inglis Street at Atlantic Street, residence for an unnamed client, 1915 (inf. Gary Shutlak, PANS)
BARRINGTON STREET, a three storey office and retail store block for L. Clyde Davidson, 1915 (dwgs. at PANS)
unnamed street, residence for George E.M. Stephens, 1916 (dwgs. at PANS)
ROOME STREET, major addition to public school, for the Halifax County School Board, 1917 (inf. Gary Shutlak, PANS)
PARK STREET PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, major repairs and rebuilding of the church, 1918 (C.R., xxxii, 19 June 1918, 39, t.c.)
COBURG STREET, between Chesnut Street and Lilac Street, two detached houses at 115 and 117 Coburg Street, 1919 (inf. Gary Shutlak, PANS)
DUNDONALD STREET, between Morris Street and Queen Street, residence for James Taylor, 1920 (inf. Gary Shutlak, PANS)
LARCH STREET, between Jennings Street and Payzant Street, residence for Capt. Julien Le Marteleur, 1924 (City of Halifax b.p. 12494, 9 June 1924; inf. Gary Shutlak, PANS)
ROCKINGHAM, N.S., Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church, with conversion of existing church into a parish hall, 1924 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 6 Oct. 1924, 3, descrip.)
COMPETITIONS
HALIFAX MARKET BUILDING, Albemarle Street at Buckingham Street, 1914. Under the pseudonym “Lux”, Horton submitted a design in this local competition, and his original drawing, signed Harris & Horton, has survived, and is now held in the drawings collection at PANS.