SHARP, Andrew (1875-1966) was born in Scotland on 25 May 1875 and articled in Glasgow with John Hutchison (in 1891-96). He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and was employed as assistant to Sir John J. Burnet, one of Glasgow's leading architects, from 1896 to 1900. In that year he emigrated to Canada and settled in Montreal where he was chief assistant to Robert Findlay (in 1900-02). In late 1902 Sharp moved to Toronto to join Darling & Pearson and remained with them until 1910. It was there that he met James H. Brown; both left the firm in 1910 to form a partnership which continued until 1919.
Sharp was a talented and ambitious designer and a skilled delineator; he entered a number of competitions in Canada for which he received the First Prize or was placed among the finalists. He took particular interest in the design of bank buildings, a skill he honed during his seven years as chief designer working under the direct supervision of Frank Darling. The initials 'A.S.' appear on many original drawings for bank branches prepared between 1903 and 1910 and now held in the Plan Room of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Toronto. In October 1919 Sharp opened an new office with Herbert Horner and continued to specialize in the design of classically inspired bank buildings, but by 1923 he had decided to withdraw from Canada and take up practise in Los Angeles, Calif. (Const., xvi, August 1923, 282). He later became a set designer with the Warner Brothers Studios and died in Alhambra, California on 9 September 1966 (State of California Deaths Certif. 66-109831; biog. in R.I.B.A., Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, 2001, ii, 584).
A. SHARP (works in Toronto)
ST. JOHN'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Broadview Avenue at Simpson Avenue, 1907-08 (The Presbyterian [Toronto], 9 Jan. 1908, 42-3, illus. & descrip.; J.R. Robertson, Landmarks of Toronto, v, 1908, 338-39, illus. & descrip.; dwgs. at City of Toronto, Building Records Div.)
ST. AIDAN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, Queen Street East at Birch Avenue, 1909 (Telegram [Toronto], 23 July 1909, 16, illus. & descrip.; Canadian Churchman [Toronto], 29 July 1909, 476, descrip.)
ST. BARNABAS ANGLICAN CHURCH, Danforth Avenue at Hampton Avenue, 1910 (Const., iii, Sept. 1910, 61, illus.)
DEER PARK PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, St. Clair Avenue West at Foxbar Road, 1911. (Const., iv, Sept. 1911, 88-9, illus. & descrip.; Builder [London], cix, 12 Nov. 1915, 354-5, plate illus.)
SHARP & BROWN (works in Toronto unless noted)
NEW GLASGOW, N.S., Bank of Nova Scotia, Provost Street at Dalhousie Street, 1911 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Archives, Toronto)
IMPERIAL BANK OF CANADA, Queen Street East at Kingston Road, 1911 (Toronto b.p. 30287, 15 Sept. 1911; dwgs. at Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Archives, Toronto)
COADY AVENUE, residence for Charles F. Richardson, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 21 June 1911, 59)
ROXBOROUGH STREET EAST, residence for John McMurren, 1911-12 (C.R., xxv, 6 Dec. 1911, 56)
ST. CLAIR AVENUE WEST, near Avenue Road, residence for Dr. Brefney O'Reilly, 1912 (Toronto b.p. 34868, 14 June 1912)
RIVERDALE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Pape Avenue at Harcourt Avenue, Sunday School, 1912 (Toronto b.p. 36149, 23 July 1912)
DOVERCOURT ROAD, at Hepbourne Street, residence for Dr. Thomas Kerr, 1912 (Toronto b.p. 36117, 19 July 1912)
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, Queen Street East at River Street, 1912 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Archives, Toronto)
CALGARY, ALTA., Bank of Nova Scotia, new facade and interior alterations, 1913 (Const., vi, Oct. 1913, 371, illus.)
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, Church Street at Queen Street East, 1913 (Toronto b.p. 7718, 27 Oct. 1913)
ST. CLEMENT'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, Jones Avenue near Sproat Avenue, 1913-14; altered 2013 (Toronto b.p. 5677, 14 July 1913; St. Clement's Historical Sketch 1889-1929, 5-6)
BURIN, NFLD., Bank of Nova Scotia, 1919 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives, Toronto)
HURON STREET, at Prince Arthur Avenue, residence for Moses Gelber, 1919 (Toronto b.p. 21162, 28 March 1919; C.R., xxxiv, 25 Aug. 1920, 24, illus. in advert.)
SHARP & HORNER (works in Toronto unless noted)
PETITCODIAC, N.B., Bank of Nova Scotia, 1919 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives, Toronto)
STELLARTON, N.S., Bank of Nova Scotia, 1919 (C.R., xxxiii, 26 Nov. 1919, 53; xxxv, 5 Jan. 1921, 18-19, illus. & descrip.; Const., xv, May 1922, 315, illus.)
SYDNEY, N.S., Bank of Nova Scotia, Charlotte Street at Pitt Street, 1919 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives, Toronto; Const., xv, Oct. 1922, 318, illus.)
ANNAPOLIS ROYAL, N.S., Bank of Nova Scotia, 1921 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives)
MONCTON, N.B., Bank of Nova Scotia, 1921 (Const., xv, Oct. 1922, 316, illus.)
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I., Bank of Nova Scotia, Grafton Street at Great George Street, 1921 (Const., xv, Oct. 1922, 312, illus.; dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives)
MONTAGUE, P.E.I., Bank of Nova Scotia, 1921 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives)
CARP, ONT., Bank of Nova Scotia, 1921 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives)
BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA, St. Clair Avenue West at Avenue Road, 1920 (Toronto b.p. 30438, 27 April 1920; Const., xv, Oct. 1922, 317, illus.)
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH, Avenue Road at Dupont Street, parish hall for the church, 1921 (Const., xiv, Oct. 1921, 303)
WATERLOO, ONT., major addition to the Mutual Life Assurance Co., King Street at Union Street, 1921 (Const., xiv, Oct. 1921, 288-95, illus. & descrip.)
LETHBRIDGE, ALTA., Standard Bank, 1921 (Const., xv, Nov. 1922, 366, illus.)
PICTOU, N.S., Bank of Nova Scotia, 1922 (dwgs. at Bank of Nova Scotia Archives)
LINDSAY, ONT., major addition to the Collegiate, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 7 June 1922, 49, t.c.)
ALHAMBRA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Alhambra Avenue at Bloor Street West, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 23 Aug. 1922, 53)
COMPETITIONS
LONDON, ENGL., The Tite Prize, R.I.B.A., 1901. Sharp, working with Thomas McLaren, was among 26 entrants who submitted a proposal for " A Design for a Gateway to a Public Park". They were not among the three finalists in this annual competition (R.I.B.A. Journal, viii, 26 Jan. 1901, 130, list of entrants). Their elaborate design, in the Renaissance Revival style, was later published in the Canadian Architect & Builder, xv, April 1902, illus. plate). This drawing was credited to both Sharp and to McLaren, but a correction was published in the same journal in May 1902, 64 suggesting that McLaren was the sole author of the design.
HALIFAX, N.S., Memorial Tower, 1910. Sharp was awarded First Premium, but the Selection Committee later gave the commission to Dumaresq & Cobb of Halifax, because their entry "...more closely conformed to the conditions" (Evening Mail [Halifax], 8 Nov. 1910, 5; Const., iii, Aug. 1910, 40, 44, illus.; Toronto Society of Architects Exhibit Catalogue, 1912, 82, illus.)
TORONTO, ONT., Stock Exchange, Bay Street, 1911. The entry by Sharp & Brown was not premiated. The competition was won by John M. Lyle.
MOOSE JAW, SASK., City Hall, 1912. This national competition produced 30 entries by architects from Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto and elsewhere. Sharp & Brown received the 3rd Prize for their conservative Beaux-Arts design (Edmonton Journal, 24 Dec. 1912, 18; Const., vi, Jan. 1913, 17, illus.; dwgs. at the Archives Room, Moose Jaw Public Library). The First Prize was awarded to John D. Atchison of Winnipeg, but his winning design was never built.
WINNIPEG, MAN., Legislative Building, 1912. The jury received sixty-seven designs from architects in Europe, the United States and Canada. Sharp & Brown submitted a classically inspired monumental design which placed among the five finalists (The Leader [Regina], 13 April 1912, 1; Const., v, Nov. 1912, 76, illus.; M. Baker, Symbol in Stone: Manitoba's Third Legislative Building, 1986, 34, illus.). The commission was later awarded to Frank Simon of Liverpool.
WINNIPEG, MAN., City Hall, 1913. Sharp & Brown were one of 39 architectural firms from across Canada who submitted plans in this national competition, but they were not among the five finalists (City of Winnipeg Archives, Council Communications, 1913, Box A169, Item 9741, list of entrants). The winners were Clemesha & Portnall of Regina, but their scheme was never built.
OTTAWA, ONT., Departmental Buildings, Wellington Street, 1914. More than sixty competitors from Commonwealth countries submitted designs for this major commission, but only six were elevated to Stage Two, and the project was never realized (NAC, RG11, Vol. 2952, File 5370-1B). The entry by Sharp & Brown was not premiated.