NICHOLS, David William Fair (1881-1951) was born in Leeds, England on 28 February 1881 and was brought to Canada by his parents when he was a child. He grew up in Toronto and in October 1897 he began a four year apprenticeship there in the office of Burke & Horwood. From 1902 to 1905 he worked for Sproatt & Rolph and then moved to Winnipeg to assist in the offices of J.H.G. Russell (in 1905-07) and John D. Atchison (in 1907-09). He opened his own office in that city in late 1909 and during the next forty years worked either alone or in numerous partnerships including:
D.W.F. Nichols - Winnipeg 1909-12
Nichols & West - Winnipeg 1913 (with J. Pender West)
D.W.F. Nichols - Winnipeg 1914-15
Colthurst, Trace & Nichols - Windsor 1920-21 (with Guy B. Colthurst and John E. Trace)
Nichols, Sheppard & Colthurst - Windsor 1921-22 (with Hugh P. Sheppard and Guy B. Colthurst)
Nichols & Sheppard - Windsor 1922-23 (with Hugh P. Sheppard)
Nichols, Sheppard & Masson - Windsor 1924-31 (with Hugh P. Sheppard and George Y. Masson)
D.W.F. Nichols - Windsor 1941-51
His early works drew heavily on the Beaux-Arts tradition, evident in the many branches of the Young Men's Christian Association which he designed in western Canada. His design for the Y.M.C.A. and Y.W.C.A. in Windsor (1924-25) was the first in Canada to combine facilities for both men and women in one building. Executed in collaboration with Hugh P. Sheppard and George Y. Masson, this scheme was an elaborate and more mannered refinement of his earlier work, with stylistic elements borrowed from the Italian Renaissance including a bell tower. After the dissolution of their office in 1931 Nichols may have left Windsor; by 1941 his name is once again listed in city directories until after 1950. He died in Windsor on 1 November 1951 (obituary in the Windsor Star, 2 Nov. 1951, 5; inf. Saskatchewan Association of Architects; Ontario Association of Architects)
D.W.F. NICHOLS
(works in Winnipeg unless noted)
ROSSER AVENUE, residence for Lionel D. Beard, 1909 (Winnipeg b.p. 1133, 1909)
ASSINIBOINE AVENUE, residence for David M. Hackney at Armstrong's Point, 1910 (Winnipeg b.p. 573, 1910; Const., vii, July 1914, 264-5, illus. & descrip.)
(with Norman M. Moffatt) FURBY STREET, residence for R. Bruce Skipwith, 1910 (Winnipeg b.p. 1438, 1910)
(with Norman M. Moffatt) ASSINIBOINE LAWN BOWLING CLUB HOUSE, Wolseley Avenue at Walnut Street, 1910 (Winnipeg b.p. 1920, 1910)
PORT ARTHUR, ONT., Young Men's Christian Association, Algoma Street, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 6 April 1910, 26)
MOOSE JAW, SASK., Young Men's Christian Association, Fairford Street East at Main Street, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 6 April 1910, 26)
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MAN., Young Men's Christian Association, 1910 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 21 March 1911, 1)
(with Robert E. Mason) FORT WILLIAM, ONT., Young Men's Christian Association, Archibald Street North at Miles Street, 1911 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 21 March 1911, 1; C.R., xxv, 29 March 1911, 51; 12 April 1911, 53, t.c.)
LETHBRIDGE, ALTA., Young Men's Christian Association, 4th Avenue at 11th Street South, 1910-11 (Winnipeg Tribune, 26 March 1910, 1; C.R., xxv, 24 May 1911, 51, illus. & descrip.)
SASKATOON, SASK., Young Men's Christian Association, Spadina Crescent East at 20th Street, 1911-12 (C.R., xxv, 5 July 1911, 59; Saskatoon Daily Star, 13 March 1912, 11, descrip.)
WOLSELEY AVENUE, residence for J.T. Haig, 1911 (Winnipeg b.p. 775, 1911)
PRITCHARD AVENUE, residence for Joseph Schaeffer, 1911 (Winnipeg b.p. 939, 1911)
MARION AVENUE, residence for H. McDonald, 1911 (Winnipeg b.p. 1296, 1911)
STRATHCONA STREET, at Classic Avenue, store for Antonio Scalena, 1911 (Winnipeg b.p. 2896, 1911)
ST. MARGARET'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, Westminster Avenue at Ethelbert Street, 1912 (Winnipeg Tribune, 14 June 1912, 1; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 23 Nov. 1912, 13, descrip.; Winnipeg b.p. 2043, 1912)
NORTHLAND KNITTING CO., Arlington Street near Sargent Avenue, factory, 1912 (Winnipeg b.p. 3401, 1912)
POLSON AVENUE, two houses for John Cathcart, 1912 (Winnipeg b.p. 3016, 1912)
NICHOLS & WEST
BEVERLEY STREET, near Ellice Avenue, apartment block for A. & F. Kristjanson, 1913 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 2 Aug. 1913, 10)
BURROWS AVENUE, apartment block for K. Stoppler, 1913 (Winnipeg b.p. 2374, 1913)
ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, MacCallum Place east of Main Street, a parish house, 1913 (Winnipeg b.p. 2479, 1913)
D.W.F. NICHOLS
CORNISH PARK BATHS, West Gate at Cornish Avenue, public bath house, 1914 (Winnipeg Tribune, 25 Jan. 1917, 4, commentary in Letter to the Editor; Winnipeg b.p. 2789, 1914)
ST. ALBAN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, Rathgar Avenue, 1915 (Winnipeg b.p. 1075, 1915)
NICHOLS & SHEPPARD
(works in Windsor, Ont. unless noted)
WALKERVILLE, ONT., residence for Harry J. Bell, Devonshire Road, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 21 June 1922, 58)
BAXTER HARDWARE CO., Wyandotte Street East at Goyeau Street, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 22 Nov. 1922, 47)
FORD CITY, ONT., Gordon McGregor Public School, Alexis Road, between Reginald Street and Alice Street, 1923 (C.R., xxxvii, 4 July 1923, 55; inf. Ian Mason, Sarnia)
WALKERVILLE, ONT., residence for Charles S. King, Willistead Crescent at Devonshire Road, 1923-24 (C.R., xxxvii, 28 Nov. 1923, 58)
NICHOLS, SHEPPARD & MASSON
(The Windsor Municipal Archives holds a collection of drawings, blueprints and photographs for buildings designed by Nichols, Shepard & Masson during the period from 1923 to 1930 (Windsor Municipal Archives: W.A. Fraser Coll., Acc. 1987-2; photographs Acc. 1987-19)
YOUNG MEN'S & YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION, Pelissier Street at Maiden Lane, 1924-25 (C.R., xxxviii, 26 Nov. 1924, 50, t.c.; xl, 17 Feb. 1926, 156, illus. & descrip.; R.A.I.C. Journal, iii, Nov.-Dec. 1926, 223-26, illus. & descrip.; Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, 80 for 80: Celebrating 80 Years of the A.C.O., 2013, 24-5, illus. & descrip.)
ESSEX COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL, Giles Boulevard at Ouellette Avenue, 1924 (Detroit Free Press, 31 May 1924, 7, descrip.; R.A.I.C. Journal, iv, May 1927, 185, illus.)
ESSEX COUNTY JAIL, Sandwich Street at Brock Street, 1924-25 (C.R., xxxviii, 26 Nov. 1924, 49; xl, 5 May 1926, 429, illus. & descrip.; Border Cities Star [Windsor], 15 Feb. 1926, Section Two, p. 6-7, illus. and detailed architectural descrip.)
JOHN A. CAMPBELL PUBLIC SCHOOL, Tecumseh Road East at Hall Avenue, 1925-27, a commission won in an architectural competition (Border Cities Star [Windsor], 2 Sept. 1925, Section Two, p. 8, descrip.; Const., xviii, Sept. 1925, 293; C.R., xli, 8 June 1927, 592, illus., 12 Oct. 1927, 1053, illus.)
FORD CITY, ONT., major addition to Gordon McGregor Public School, Alexis Road, between Reginald Street and Alice Street, 1926 (C.R., xl, 2 June 1926, 46)
CANADIAN SALT CO., Sandwich Street, administration building, 1926 (C.R., xl, 2 June 1926, 551, illus.)
CLARENCE H. SMITH CO. STORE, Ouellette Avenue, major addition to department store, 1926; addition, 1928 (C.R., xl, 27 Jan. 1926, 52, t.c.; Windsor Star, 11 Nov. 1926, Second Section, 6-7, descrip.; 16 Oct. 1928, 5, illus. & descrip.)
WYANDOTTE STREET EAST, at Aylmer Avenue, store and apartment block, 1926 (dwgs. at Windsor Municipal Archives, RG4, No. 14)
ALEXANDER AVENUE, residence for George Hasson, 1926 (Windsor Star, 10 July 1926, Second Section, 8-9, illus. & descrip.)
SUNSET AVENUE, residence for Frederick J. Jasperson, 1927 (dwgs. at Windsor Municipal Archives, RG4, No. 87)
PRINCE OF WALES PUBLIC SCHOOL, Wyandotte Street, major addition, 1927 (Windsor Star, 25 March 1927, 3; 31 Dec. 1927, Fifth Section, 8)
WALKERVILLE, ONT., residence for Dr. Charles W. Hoare, Ontario Street at Devonshire Road, 1927-28 (C.R., xli, 19 Oct. 1927, 51)
LA SALLE, ONT., Hofer Brewing Co., Front Road, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 15 Feb. 1928, 50)
CHURCH OF THE ASCENSION (Anglican), University Avenue West, 1927 (C.R., xli, 9 March 1927, 239, illus.; Windsor Star, 23 Feb. 1927, 3, illus. & descrip.)
WALKERVILLE, ONT., Hugh Beaton Public School, Windermere Road at Lens Avenue, 1928-29 (Windsor Daily Star, 23 June 1928, 7; 24 Oct. 1929, 12, descrip.; C.R., xlii, 19 Sept. 1928, 988, illus.)
CHATHAM, ONT., Union Natural Gas Co., Fifth Street near Wellington Street, office building, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 1 Aug. 1928, 51)
PURITY DAIRIES CO., Howard Avenue at Shepherd Street East, 1929 (C.R., xliii, 24 April 1929, 67; dwgs. at Windsor Municipal Archives, RG4, 112, 123, 176, 179)
SANDWICH WEST, ONT., Essex Golf & Country Club, Matchette Road, 1928 (Const., xxi, June 1928, 216)
ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH, Windsor Avenue, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 28 March 1928, 48)
SANDWICH, ONT., public school, Felix Avenue at College Avenue, 1929 (Windsor Star, 1 Feb. 1929, 5)
CHILDREN'S AID SOCIETY, Dougall Avenue, children's shelter, 1929 (C.R., xliii, 3 April 1929, 64)
PARAMOUNT THEATRE, Moy Avenue at Ottawa Street, 1929 (Windsor Star, 23 Jan. 1929, 3, illus. & descrip.; C.R., xliii, 6 Feb. 1929, 84, t.c.)
WESTMINSTER UNITED CHURCH, Dougall Avenue at Tecumseh Road, 1929 (Winsdor Star, 7 Jan. 1930, 3, illus.; Detroit Free Press, 12 Jan. 1930, Section Seven, 6)
D.W.F. NICHOLS
(with John P. Thomson) GRACE HOSPITAL, Crawford Avenue, major addition, 1942 (Canadian Hospital, xix, April 1942, 20-1, illus)
PEERLESS COUNTRYSIDE DAIRIES INC., Benjamin Avenue at Tecumseh Boulevard East, 1946 (C.R., lix, July 1946, 104)
COMPETITIONS
WINDSOR, ONT., new Collegiate Institute, Tecumseh Road East, between Mercer Street and Highland Avenue, 1925. Shortly after the competition for the John Campbell School noted above, the Board of Education staged another competition for public Collegiate School (Border Cities Star [Windsor], 21 Nov. 1925, 5). Nichols, Shepard & Masson were awarded Second Prize of $500. The winners were Cameron & Ralston, but the site was later occupied by H. Guppy Public School, designed by a different architect.
WALKERVILLE, ONT., Metropolitan General Hospital, Lens Avenue at Byng Road, 1926. The office of Nichols, Sheppard & Masson was one of 8 local architects who competed for this job (Border Cities Star [Windsor], 27 Jan. 1926, 5). Their submission was passed over in favour of Pennington & Boyde.