Hood, William

HOOD, William (1874-1969) was active in Fort William and Port Arthur, Ont. during the period from 1907 until 1920. Born in Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland on 12 April 1874, he likely received his education and training there, but for unknown reasons he moved to Johannesburg, South Africa in late 1903 or early 1904 where he worked as an architect. There, he was said to have had 'extensive experience' in his profession (Daily Times-Journal [Fort William], 30 March 1907, 1). He arrived in Canada 1907 and was invited to join the partnership of John C. Stinson and Frederick Eley (see list of works under Stinson, Eley & Hood). Upon the departure of Eley in September 1907 both Hood and Stinson continued to practise together until late 1909 when the partnership was dissolved. Hood then opened his own office in Fort William and formed another partnership, this time with Harry M. Scott who had worked as a draftsman for Stinson & Hood in 1908-09 (Daily Times-Journal [Fort William], 10 Sept. 1909, 11, advert.). Hood moved to Port Arthur in late 1914 and maintained an office there until 1920. The following year he relocated his office in Victoria, B.C.; he was noted as "the architect and builder, Mr. Wm. Hood, late of Port Arthur, Ont. and now of Victoria" in an article describing his design for a Chinese Church in Victoria, B.C. He moved to Vancouver after 1925 and continued his career there, and later died in West Vancouver on 7 December 1969 (death notice The Province [Vancouver], 9 Dec. 1969, 35).

HOOD & SCOTT (works in Fort William unless noted)

RUTHENIAN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1910 (Catholic Register [Toronto], 26 Jan. 1911, 5, illus. & descrip.)
MONA BLOCK, May Street, major addition, 1910 (Daily Times-Journal [Fort William], 21 May 1910, 1)
A.W. FRODSHAM & CO., May Street at Myles Street, major addition, 1910 (Daily Times-Journal [Fort William], 10 June 1910, 1, descrip.; C.R., xxiv, 20 July 1910, 26)
ENZER BLOCK, Simpson Street, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 20 July 1910, 26, t.c.)
JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 17 Aug. 1910, 25)
PUBLIC LIBRARY, South Brodie Street, 1911-12 (Daily Times-Journal [Fort William], 22 Feb. 1911, 7, t.c.; C.R., xxv, 1 March 1911, 26, t.c.; Canadian Builder & Carpenter [Toronto], iii, May 1913, 35-39, illus.; M. Beckman, The Best Gift, 1984, 136, 169, illus.)
ST. PETER'S ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, McIntosh Street at Pacific Avenue, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 31 May 1911, 58)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., Oddfellow's Hall, Park Avenue at Court Street, 1911-13 (C.R., xxv, 28 June 1911, 57; Daily Times-Journal [Fort William], 4 April 1913, 16)
KASLAR BROS., Simpson Street at Cumming Street, store, 1911 (C.R., 12 July 1911, 61, t.c.)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., residence for Mrs. T. Sills, Court Street South, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 6 Sept. 1911, 63)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., a theatre for Alberta Land Co., Arthur Street, 1911-12 (C.R., xxv, 27 Dec. 1911, 62)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., Dawson Street Public School (now the Prospect Avenue School), Prospect Avenue at Tupper Street, 1912 (Daily News [Port Arthur], 30 April 1912, 1)
ST. STANISLAS ROMAN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, Miles Street, addition, 1912 (Fort William b.p. 315, 22 Aug. 1912)
FREDERICA STREET WEST, commercial block for James R. Donald, 1912 (Fort William b.p. 365, 16 Sept. 1912)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Waverley Street at Secord Street, 1913-14 (Daily News [Port Arthur], 17 Feb. 1912, 1, descrip.; C.R., xxvii, 20 Aug. 1913, 86)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., addition to North Ward School, St. James Street at Court Street, 1914 (Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society - Papers & Records, v, 1977, 5)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., addition to South Ward School, Cornwall Avenue, 1914 (Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society - Papers & Records, v, 1977, 5)

WILLIAM HOOD (works elsewhere)

PORT ARTHUR, ONT., Police Station, Cooke Street near Court Street North, 1914 (inf. from the Port Arthur Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee)
VICTORIA, B.C., Chinese Church, Blanchard Street at North Park Street, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 7 June 1922, 536, descrip.; Edmonton Bulletin, 3 July 1922, 7, descrip.)
TORANMAL, MAHARASHTRA STATE, INDIA, a Presbyterian Mission Station "...in the Gothic style, with a 40 ft. tower", 1938 (Border Cities Star [Windsor], 3 June 1938, Section Two, 1)

COMPETITIONS

FORT WILLIAM, ONT., Young Men's Christian Assoc., 1911. The firm of Hood & Scott were one of several architects who submitted an entry in this competition, and for their effort they received the Third Prize (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 21 March 1911, 1). The First Prize was awarded to D.W.F. Nichols of Winnipeg.