LAPOINTE, Francois (1826- c. 1900), together with his son Diendonne A. Lapointe, was active in Montreal where both advertised themselves as 'architects and contractors' (La Minerve [Montreal], 2 Aug. 1883, 2, advert.). Their best known work there was the College Notre Dame, Queen Mary Road, 1880-81, an eclectic Second Empire design combining Gothic Revival features that were adapted from an earlier design submitted by Henri M. Perrault but rejected by directors of the College. Francois was briefly in partnership with Henri Malingre in 1886 before moving to Chicago to continue his career as an architect in 1888. In 1894 he returned to Montreal where he was recommended for the post of Assistant Building Inspector to the City of Montreal, and it was noted that he had "....26 years of experience, both in Montreal and in Chicago (see biography in The Gazette [Montreal], 21 Nov. 1894, 3). Within two years, he had left the city once again, perhaps at the urging of his son who had chosen to remain in practice in Chicago during this period. He is likely the same 'Francois Lapointe, architect of Chicago' who prepared drawings in 1896 for a gigantic steel tower nearly 600 feet high and 260 feet wide at the base to be erected on top of Mount Royal in Montreal (Gazette [Montreal], 15 Dec. 1896, 2, descrip.; C.R., vii, 17 Dec. 1896, 2; Montreal Daily Star, 29 May 1897, 13, illus. & detailed descrip.; Evening Journal [Ottawa], 19 June 1897, 14, illus. & descrip.). Lapointe firmly defended his scheme against public criticism and disdain, and stated that he believed his tower design was "....the greatest historic monument of the world, and of the century" (Montreal Daily Star, 29 July 1897, 4, Letter to the Editor). Thankfully, his proposal for this colossal steel tower in Montreal was never realised.
(works in Montreal unless noted)
COLLEGE NOTRE DAME, Queen Mary Road, Cote des Neiges; 1880-81 (La Minerve [Montreal], 25 April 1881, 2, descrip.; Gazette [Montreal], 2 Oct. 1883, 3, descrip.; Montreal, Les Couvents, 1984, 50-55, illus.; C. Cameron & J. Wright, Second Empire Style in Canadian Architecture, 1980, 92-3, illus.)
ST. HUGUES, QUE., reconstruction of the Roman Catholic Church, 1883 (Journal de Quebec [Quebec City], 27 Oct. 1882, 2, descrip.; La Minerve [Montreal], 17 March 1883, 1, t.c.)
COLLEGE ST. LAURENT, Ste. Croix Boulevard, major addition of two new wings to the existing building, and an additional two floors added on top of the existing building, 1882 (Canadian Illustrated News, 22 April 1882, 243, 244, illus.; Gazette [Montreal], 20 June 1882, 3, descrip.; College St. Laurent, Livre de comptes iii, entries for 28 Feb. 1884; 8 May 1884)
EGLISE ST. LAURENT, Ste. Croix Boulevard, new facade and towers, 1884 (La Minerve [Montreal], 23 April 1884, 1; 29 Oct. 1884, 1; Montreal, Les Eglises, 1981, 300-05, illus.)
ST. JEAN BAPTISTE DAY OUTDOOR ARCHES, a group of 8 different outdoor street arches erected in the east end of Montreal, including: The Religion Arch, The Commerce Arch , The Navigation Arch, The Press Arch, (covered with copies of every French and English newspaper in Canada); The Fine Arts & Agriculture Arch and The Military Arch, (representing the 4 principal gates of Quebec)
(Montreal Daily Star, 5 May 1884, 2, descrip.)
DOMINION EXHIBITION GROUNDS, PARK ANNEX, off St. Lawrence Main Street, exhibition buildings including the Royal Electric Co. power house and generating station, 1884 (Gazette [Montreal], 5 Sept. 1884, 1)
ST. CESAIRE, QUE., restoration of the College, 1884 (La Minerve [Montreal], 29 Oct. 1884, 1)
WINTER CARNIVAL, "The Condora", an outdoor Ice Palace 75 ft. high, in the Champs de Mars, 1884 (Montreal Daily Star, 30 Oct. 1884, 1; and 20 Dec. 1884, 6, illus. & descrip.)
ST. GABRIEL STREET, new facade and addition of a third floor to commercial block for Alphonse Desjardins, 1884 (dwgs. at ANQM, CD2/1638)
WESTERN CATTLE MARKET & ABATTOIR, in St. Henri, large market hall, 1886 (Montreal Daily Star, 12 April 1886, 3, descrip.; Gazette [Montreal], 12 April 1886,. 3, descrip.)
MAISONNEUVE, six cottages for Alphonse Dejardins, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 12 April 1886,. 3, descrip.)
MAISONNEUVE, two houses for Hubert Provost, Maisonneuve Avenue, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 12 April 1886,. 3, descrip.)
POINT ST. CHARLES, four houses for J. Murray, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 12 April 1886,. 3, descrip.)
POINT ST. CHARLES, six houses for M. Davis, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 12 April 1886,. 3, descrip.)
RIVIERE ST. PIERRE, two houses for M. Welch, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 12 April 1886,. 3, descrip.)
SHERBROOKE STREET EAST, near St. Denis Street, four cottages for Henry Porter, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 12 April 1886,. 3, descrip.)
RACHEL STREET, at St. Dominique Street, four stores for J.O. Villeneuve, 1886 (Gazette [Montreal], 12 Jan. 1887, 2)
JACQUES CARTIER SQUARE, an outdoor toboggan slide on Notre Dame Street, for the winter Carnival, 1894 (Gazette [Montreal], 30 Oct. 1894, 2, letter from Francois Lapointe, Architect)
LACHINE CANAL, at Atwater Avenue, a bridge for electric street cars and pedestrians, 1898 (Montreal Daily Star, 21 March 1898, 7; C.R., ix, 20 April 1898, 3)
ROYAL VISIT DECORATIONS, for the visit to Montreal of the Duke & Duchess of York, 1901, including designs for outdoor arches, spectator stands, and decorations of buildings, parks, streets and fences. The Reception Committee later shelved the plans, but not before Lapointe had publicly exhibited his designs (Montreal Daily Star, 22 Aug. 1901, 6, descrip.)
(works in Chicago, Ill.)
CHICAGO, ILL., a pair of two storey stone-fronted houses for H.P. Thompson, at 1364-1366 Fulton Street, 1894-95 (Inter-Ocean Daily [Chicago], 2 Dec. 1894, 24)