FELLOWES, Norton Alexander (1902-1969), active for his entire career in Montreal, Que., was born there on 5 November1902 and was the son of J.B. Fellowes, a building contractor. He studied engineering at McGill University (1922-24), then switched to the School of Architecture and graduated in 1927. He trained under Richard Bolton, and was briefly in partnership with him before opening his own office. He suffered a serious physical injury when he lost his left forearm from an ammunition explosion in 1941, but he joined with Canadian Forces during WWII, becoming the first amputee to serve overseas (Gazette [Montreal], 25 Sept. 1941, 13 & 18).
His commissions included a range of residential works located in Westmount, Hampstead, and in the Town of Mount Royal. His modernist design for the Mellen residence (1935) was an important transitional work, with pure white stucco walls and a sweeping curved balcony alluding to some of the early European and English plans for innovative and progressive modernist developments from this period. Fellowes designed the first split-level bungalow in Westmount, and the first all-concrete house located on Willow Avenue, which generated considerable publicity and resulted in Fellowes receiving many similar commissions from clients in Canaada and the USA.
Fellowes died in Montreal on 1 December 1969 (obituary and port. Gazette [Montreal], 2 Dec. 1969, 45; inf. Mrs. Rae Fellowes, Toronto; inf. Robert Lemire, Montreal).
(works in Montreal unless noted)
FELLOWES & THACKER
WESTMOUNT, large residene for Dr. A.W. McClelland, Aberdeen Avenue near Westmount Boulevard, 1933-34 (C.R., xlvii, 11 Oct. 1933, 32)
N.A. FELLOWES
HAMPSTEAD, residence for E. Wilson Mellen, Stratford Road, 1935 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xiii, April 1936, 66-67, illus. C.H.G., xiv, Jan.-Feb. 1937, 30, illus.)
WESTMOUNT, residence for J.B. Fellowes, builder, Sunnyside Avenue near Belvedere Road, 1937 (C.R., vol. 50, 3 Feb. 1937, 27)
WESTMOUNT, residence for D'Arcy D. Bocue, Belvedere Road, 1938 (R.A.I.C. Journal, xvi, May 1939, 114, illus.; C.H.G., xvii, April 1940, 33, illus.)
TOWN OF MOUNT ROYAL, small apartment house, 320 Laird Boulevard, 1937-38 (C.R., vol. 50, 16 June 1937, 36; inf. Mrs. Rae Fellowes, Toronto)
TOWN OF MOUNT ROYAL, residence for Dr. O.C. Gruner, Caledonia Road at Laird Boulevard, 1939-40 (Gazette [Montreal], 5 Aug. 1939, 4; C.H.G., xxiv, Aug. 1947, 30, illus.)
WESTMOUNT, residence for the architect, 589 Lansdowne Avenue, the first split-level residence in Westmount, 1950-51 (inf. Mrs. Rae Fellowes, Toronto)
WESTMOUNT, residence at No. 30 Willow Avenue, the first all-concrete residence, for an unnamed client, 1950 (inf. Mrs. Rae Fellowes, Toronto)
WESTMOUNT, the Willow Avenue Development, a garden community of 13 detached houses for various owners, 1950-57 (inf. Mrs. Rae Fellowes, Toronto)
FELLOWES & BOLTON
TOWN OF MOUNT ROYAL, two apartment houses for J.B. Fellowes, builder, Laird Boulevard, 1937 (C.R., Vol. 50, 11 Aug. 1937, 32)
DOMINION RUBBER CO. LTD., Papineau Avenue at Craig Street, major addition to factory, 1940 (Gazette [Montreal], 6 Aug. 1940, 16; inf. Scott Edwards)