Renner, Morgan Martin | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada

RENNER, Morgan Martin (1864-1945) was born in Lincoln Co., Ont. on 20 October 1864 and studied at the British American Commercial College in Toronto in 1880-81. He articled with Walter Strickland of Toronto (in 1881-84) and commenced practise in The Mail Building in 1885, only to see his office burnt out, along with several other architectural firms, in April 1886 (Toronto World, 2 April 1886, 1). He entered the competition for the Toronto City Hall & Court House in 1886 (Architecture & Building [New York], xiv, 6 June 1891, plate illus.), but his squat and unrefined Romanesque design was no match for the winning scheme by E.J. Lennox. By 1889 he had moved to New York City and maintained his own office there until 1907 (D.S. Francis, Architects in Practise New York City 1840-1900, 64). In 1919 he returned to Canada and from 1928 he relentlessly pursued his unwanted proposal for an enormous City Hall at St. Catharines, Ont. (Toronto Daily Star, 14 Feb 1929, 13). His plans for this building have survived, and are held at the St. Catharines Museum. Renner died at Jordan Station on 22 January 1945 (obit. St. Catharines Standard, 23 Jan. 1945, 11; inf. Ontario Assoc. of Architects)