Allaster, Andrew Stuart

ALLASTER, Andrew Stuart (1884-1938) was born in London, Ont. on 30 September 1884 and received his architectural education in New York City and Chicago. After serving an apprenticeship with the Detroit firm of Spier & Rohns he worked briefly in Winnipeg, in Montreal and in Buffalo, and in 1906 he was invited by Thomas E. Shiels of Detroit to form a partnership, as Shiels & Allaster, Architects. In late 1909 or early 1910, Allaster returned to Ontario and opened an office in Brockville, Ont. He remained active there until 1924 and then moved back to Detroit, Michigan later that year. Both he and Gilbert Jacques formed a partnership in Windsor, Ont. in November 1925 (see list of works under Jacques & Allaster), but by 1931 he had again taken up residence in Detroit and died there on 5 June 1938. He was later buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in London, Ont. (obit. Ottawa Journal, 7 June 1938, 20; obit. Canadian Engineer, lxxiv, 14 June 1938, 16; biography and photographic portrait in Border Cities Star [Windsor], 25 Nov. 1925, 5; biog. & port. Canadian Engineer, vol. 50, 22 June 1926, 692).

SHIELS & ALLASTER, of Detroit, Mich.

DETROIT, MICH., a terrace of six houses for Michael Downey, Campbell Avenue at Newberry Avenue, 1906 (Detroit Free Press, 22 April 1906, Section Two, 16, descrip.)
DETROIT, MICH., a large 4 storey addtion to Summerfield & Hecht Store, Michigan Avenue, 1906 (Detroit Free Press, 29 July 1906, Section Two, 10, descrip.)
DETROIT, MICH., a 2 storey retail store and flats above, McGraw Avenue at 24th Street, for Mrs. M. Moore, 1908 (Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 1908, Section Two, 11)
DETROIT, MICH., residence for Fred A. Stevenson, The Boulevard, between Third Street and Hamilton Avenue, 1908 (Detroit Free Press, 25 Oct. 1908, Section Two, 11) DETROIT, MICH., residence for O.J. McQuistion, Pallister Street, between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, 1909 (Detroit Free Press, 21 March 1909, Section One, p. 14)
DETROIT, MICH., a terrace of six houses for Frederick A. High, Third Avenue at Ferry Avenue, 1909 (Detroit Free Press, 12 Sept. 1909, Section Three, 8, descrip.)
DETROIT, MICH, a terrace of six houses for Mrs. Julia Horton, south east corner of Medbury Avenue at Brush Street, 1909 (Detroit Free Press, 21 March 1909, Section One, p. 14)
DETROIT, MICH., large residence for Mrs. Julia Horton, south west corner of Medbury Avenue at Brush Street, 1909 (Detroit Free Press, 12 Sept. 1909, Section Three, 8, descrip.; and 25 Dec. 1909, 4, descrip.; and 26 Dec. 1909, 16, illus. & descrip.)

A. STUART ALLASTER

(works in Brockville)

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Church Street at William Street, additions and alterations, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 22 March 1911, 52-3, t.c.)
JAMES STREET EAST, residence for Delbert A. Cummings, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 12 April 1911, 54, t.c.)
KING STREET WEST, residence for A. Innes Wright, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 19 April 1911, 56, t.c.)
NATIONAL MANUFACTURING CO., William Street at Brock Street, factory, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 7 June 1911, 62)
KING STREET EAST, residence for Dr. Edward B. Moles, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 28 June 1911, 58, t.c.)
KING STREET EAST, the New Theatre, 1911 (Brockville Evening Recorder, 16 Sept. 1911, 5, descrip.)
BROCKVILLE CITY HALL, King Street West, facing Victoria Avenue, a major 3 storey addition at the rear of City Hall, for new civic offices, and for the Light, Water & Power Commission, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 4 Sept. 1912, 67; inf. Scott Edwards)
HARTLEY STREET, residence for Edward A. Geiger, 1914 (inf. D. Grant, Brockville)
STANDARD SEMINARY, for the Church of America, Perth Street, 1920 (C.R., xxxiv, 30 June 1920, 48)

(works elsewhere)

KEMPTVILLE, ONT., Carnegie Library, Prescott Street near Asa Street, 1911-12; still standing in 2022 (C.R., xxv, 27 Sept. 1911, 59)
GANANOQUE, ONT., a new Opera House & Oddfellows Temple Block, 1913-14 (Daily Standard (Kingston), 1 Dec. 1913, 9, descrip.)
PERTH, ONT., theatre for Col. J.M. Balderson, 1915 (C.R., xxix, 3 Feb 1915, 620; Perth Courier, 3 Sept. 1915, 1)
ST. LAWRENCE RIVER, near Brockville, residence for W. Gilbert, 1917 (C.R., xxxi, 14 Feb. 1917, 43)
GANANOQUE, ONT., a new clubhouse for the Gananoque Golf & Country Club, Golf Club Lane, south of Highway 2, 1921-22 (Daily Standard [Kingston], 20 Dec. 1921, 14)
ATHENS, ONT., re-building of the High School, 1922-23, a commission won in a competition (Daily Standard [Kingston], 14 Feb. 1922, 11; C.R., xxxvi, 12 April 1922, 52, t.c.)
GANANOQUE, ONT., a new parsonage for Christ Church (Anglican), Church Street, 1924 (Daily Standard [Kingston], 3 April 1924, 8)
WINDSOR, ONT., Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue, Giles Boulevard East at Goyeau Street, 1929-30, (C.R., xliii, 8 May 1929, 58, t.c.; Border Cities Star [Windsor], 20 June 1929, 3, descrip.; 24 May 1930, Section Two, 7, illus. & descrip.)
EAST WINDSOR, ONT., addition to East Windsor City Hall, 1930 (Border Cities Star, 27 Feb. 1930, Section Two, 13, t.c.)
WINDSOR, ONT., addition to Fire Hall No. 1, Drouillard Road, 1930 (dwgs. at the Windsor Municipal Archives, RG 4, No. 81)
WINDSOR, ONT., additions and major remodelling of residence of Mrs. Anna Kovinsky, at 804 Ouellette Avenue, at Elliott Street, 1930; demol. (Windsor Star, 9 March 1933, 7, legal court case by Allaster)
SARNIA, ONT., movie theatre, 1932 (C.R., xlv, 23 Dec. 1931, 47)
SARNIA, ONT., Patterson Memorial Church, Russell Street at Kathleen Avenue, 1932 (C.R., xlvi, 20 Jan 1932, 44)
FLINT, MICHIGAN, residence for Benison H. Waderlow, 1932 (Detroit Free Press, 1 April 1933, 4, reference to legal court case awarded to Allaster)

COMPETITIONS

FORT WILLIAM, ONT., YMCA Building, 1911. Allaster was one of several Canadian architects who submitted a design, and he received 2nd Prize of $250.00 for his effort (Weekly Advance [Kemptville], 6 April 1911, 4).