RESTHER, Jean Zepherin (1857-1910), a prominent architect in Montreal, Que. who was active for 30 years in the following offices there:
J.B. Resther & Son, Montreal, 1878 to 1881 (with his son Jean Z. Resther)
Resther, Resther & Vanier, Montreal, 1881 to 1892 (with his son Jean Z. Resther and Joseph E. Vanier)
J.B. Resther & Son, Montreal, 1892 to May 1896 (with his son Jean Z. Resther)
Jean Z. Resther, Montreal, June 1896 to 1910
He was the son of Jean Baptiste Resther, was born in St. Hyacinthe, Que. on 16 March 1857 and was educated at the Catholic Commercial Academy and at St. Mary's College in Montreal. He articled with George Browne (in 1874-75) and with Victor Roy (in 1875-77) who, at that time, was a partner in the architectural firm called Resther & Roy, owned by his father. In 1878 Jean Z. was invited by his father to become a partner in the new firm of J.B. Resther & Son; in 1881 they were joined by Joseph E. Vanier in the new firm of Resther, Resther & Vanier which remained active until the departure of Vanier in 1892. The firm name then reverted to J.B. Resther & Son and after the death of his father in May 1896, Jean Z. inherited the practice, although he continued to use the old firm's name until well after 1900. His best known work was the monumental design for the boarding school for the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary, an Outremont landmark with a sober greystone facade and an elaborate classical portico.
Resther was a respected member of the profession and was elected President of the Prov. of Quebec Association of Architects in 1909. He also served as city alderman for the Centre Ward in 1908 and was acclaimed in an election for this post in February 1910. His poor health necessitated a lengthy trip to Europe and South America in 1909-10 and he recovered, only to fall ill again in August 1910. Resther died on 24 November 1910 (obituary + photo port. Montreal Daily Star, 24 Nov. 1910, 6; obit. Gazette [Montreal], 25 Nov. 1910, 6; La Presse [Montreal], 24 Nov. 1910, 16; biog. and port. Souvenir Maisonneuve, 1894, 134; W. Cochrane, Canadian Album-Men of Canada, ii, 1893, 193). A photographic portrait of the architect, taken shortly before his death, was published in the Montreal Daily Star, 12 April 1909, 16.
J. Z. RESTHER (Institutional & Ecclesiastical works in Montreal unless noted)
MONT ST. LOUIS , Sherbrooke Street East at Laval Street, a boy's school for the Christian Brothers, 1887; East Wing and kitchens, 1903 (Le Prix Courant, xxxv, 13 Feb. 1903, 41; Montreal, Les Couvents, 1984, 282-87, illus.)
FATHERS OF THE HOLY SACRAMENT, Mount Royal Avenue, a new chapel, 1893 (Gazette [Montreal], 15 March 1893, 5)
FRANCISCAIN FATHERS, Dorchester Street West, a new chapel, 1893 (Gazette [Montreal], 15 March 1893, 5)
PERES DU ST. SACREMENT, Mount Royal Avenue, a novitiate, 1896 (Le Prix Courant, xviii, 26 June 1896, 800)
CIVIC BUILDING, for the City of Montreal, Jacques Cartier Square at Notre Dame Street, proposed design, but not built (?), 1897-98 (Montreal Daily Star, 8 Nov. 1897, 5)
FIRE STATION NO. 7, Notre Dame Street East at Beaudry Street, 1898 (Montreal Daily Star, 28 May 1898, 20; C.R., ix, 15 June 1898, 3, t.c.)
HOCHELAGA CONVENT, for the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary, Notre Dame Street East at Joliette Street, 1901; presbytery, 1909 (Le Prix Courant, xxxi, 10 May 1901, 715; No. 38, 1909, 46)
BONSECOURS MARKET, St. Paul Street, new decks for market stalls, designed 1900; built 1902-03 (Montreal Daily Star, 31 May 1900, 7; La Presse [Montreal], 2 Nov. 1902, 1, illus. & descrip.)
OUTREMONT, Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-Marie, Cote Ste. Catherine Road, 1903-04 (La Presse [Montreal], 12 Dec. 1903, 5, illus. & descrip.; 11 Nov. 1904, 1 & 7, illus. & descrip.; C.A.B., xix, Aug. 1906, 117, descrip. and illus. plate; Montreal, Les Couvents, 1984, 316-21, illus.)
CLUB FONTAINE, St. Hubert Street at Dorchester Street East, recreation building, 1904 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 46, 1904, 186)
RACHEL STREET, near Sanguinet Street, boarding school for the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary, 1906 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 15, 1906, 46)
STE. CATHERINE STREET EAST, near Joliette Street, convent for the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus & Mary, 1906 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 28, 1906, 45)
J. Z. RESTHER (Commercial & Industrial works in Montreal unless noted)
MOUNT ROYAL AVENUE, building for Benjamin Deslauriers, 1896 (C.R., vii, 14 May 1896, 3)
ST. MAURICE STREET, factory for J.M. Fortier, 1896 (Le Prix Courant, xviii, 27 March 1896, 224)
WELLINGTON STREET, store and flats for Mrs. L.H. Belanger, 1898 (C.R., ix, 1 June 1898, 4)
QUEBEC CITY, QUE., a new theatre on the site of the old Academy of Music, St. Louis Street, 1900 (Montreal Daily Star, 21 May 1900, 4; and 4 Oct. 1900, 5, descrip.; C.R., xi, 30 May 1900, 3)
CRAIG STREET, near Victoria Square, a new theatre for J.B. Craig, 1900-01 (Montreal Daily Star, 14 Nov. 1900, 3)
ST. DENIS STREET, near Marie Anne Street, two stores and flats for O. Martineau & Sons, 1901 (Le Prix Courant, xxxi, 7 June 1901, 875)
ST. SULPICE STREET, at De Bresoles Street, commercial block for the Sisters of the Hotel Dieu, 1901 (C.R., xii, 7 Aug. 1901, 3)
BOIVIN, WILSON & CO., St. Paul Street, warehouse, 1901 (C.R., xii, 9 Oct. 1901, 3)
FREYSENG CORK CO., St. Paul Street, factory, 1902 (C.R., xiii, 30 July 1902, 3)
QUEBEC CITY, QUE., reconstruction of the Hotel Victoria, du Palais Street, 1903 (C.R., xiii, 7 Jan. 1903, 2)
SUTHERLAND BLOCK, St. James Street at St. John Street, backing onto Fortification Lane, a 4 storey block for Louis Sutherland and Charles D. Tylee, 1904-05 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 35, 1904, 54; Montreal Daily Star, 13 April 1905, 13, descrip.)
ST. ANTOINE STREET, at Inspectors Street, two stores and flats for J. Ovide Gravel, 1905 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 26, 1905, 54)
MOUNT ROYAL AVENUE, at St. Denis Street, two stores and flats for Charles Berger, 1905 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 32, 1905, 61)
L.O. GROTHE & CO., St. Lawrence Street at Ontario Street, 1907 (La Presse [Montreal], 4 June 1907, 10; Montreal, Architecture Industrielle, 1982, 54-5, illus.)
ST. URBAIN STREET, near Lagauchetiere Street, factory for D. Ouimet, 1909 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 34, 1909, 42)
ST. DENIS STREET, at Marie Anne Street, store and flats for Mrs. G. De Massia, 1909 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 46, 1909, 24)
RACHEL STREET, two stores for L.N. Dupuis, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 11 May 1910, 27)
BEAUBIEN STREET EAST, at Amherst Street, two stores and flats for J.L. Legault, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 11 May 1910, 27)
J. Z. RESTHER (Residential works in Montreal)
QUIBLIER AVENUE, two houses for the Masson Estate, 1896 (Le Prix Courant, xviii, 3 April 1896, 272)
PRINCE ARTHUR STREET, at Hutchison Street, four houses for the Masson Estate, 1897 (C.R., vii, 14 Jan. 1897, 2)
MOUNT ROYAL AVENUE, near St. Hubert Street, house for T. Fortin, 1897 (C.R., viii, 22 April 1897, 4)
MONTCALM STREET, house for Dominique Legault, 1897 (C.R., viii, 13 May 1897, 4)
GUILBAULT STREET, house for J. Charles Clarke, 1897 (C.R., viii, 15 July 1897, 4)
MANCE STREET, ten houses for G. Prefontaine, 1897 (C.R., viii, 89 Sept. 1897, 3)
COTE DES NEIGES ROAD, 'Les Lilacs', a residence for Antoine Robert, 1898 (C.R., ix, 20 April 1898, 5)
BOSSET STREET, at Pine Avenue, eight houses for the Sisters of Charity of the Hotel Dieu, 1899 (Le Prix Courant, xxvi, Week No. 3, 1899)
BISHOP STREET, near Ste. Catherine Street West, house for J. Ovide Gravel, 1902 (C.R., xiii, 25 June 1902, 3)
MOUNTE ROYAL AVENUE, near Rivard Street, house for L.P. Dupre, 1904 (Le Prix Courant, Wek No. 43, 1904, 57)
ST. LAURENT STREET, at Duluth Avenue, two houses for the J.O. Villeneuve Estate, 1905 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 41, 1905, 53)
ST. DENIS STREET, near St. Andre Street, residence for Mrs. L.R. Payfer, 1906 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 1, 1906, 56)
ESPLANADE STREET, house for Edgar Courteau, 1906 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 40, 1906, 46)
STE. FAMILLE STREET, near Pine Avenue, two houses for the Sisters of the Hotel Dieu, 1908 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 43, 1908, 44)
ST. FAMILLE STREET, near Pine Avenue, four houses for Cyrille Laurin, 1909 (Le Prix Courant, Week No. 49, 1909, 40)
SHERBROOKE STREET EAST, near Berri Street, residence for Isaie Prefontaine, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 11 May 1910, 26)