CHOWN, Henry John (1887-1974) was active in Toronto where he assisted John M. Lyle as a draftsman in 1909, then worked for James Thompson in 1910. Much of his practice was centered in the Beaches neighbourhood of east end Toronto where he opened an office in 1913. He may be related to Wilfred D. Chown, active in Toronto during the same period. Henry J. Chown was born in Northampton, England on 30 May 1887 and was the son of Abraham J. Chown, a successful builder and contractor who specialised in the construction of schools and large residences. His son Henry J. may have trained in the building trades under the supervision of his father. He emigrated to Canada in April 1907, and spent the next 40 years working as an architect in Toronto. After living and working there, he moved to Welland, Ont. in 1950 or 1951 and died there on 27 September 1974 (death notice Globe & Mail [Toronto], 28 Sept. 1974, 57; inf. Barbara Myrvold, Toronto). The Northamptonshire County Archives at Wootton Hall Park in Northampton, England holds a collection of scrapbooks on the Chown Family, including one from Henry J. Chown, from 1880 to c. 1910 (Acc. Box N. 239).
H.J. CHOWN (Residential works in Toronto unless noted)
EASTERN AVENUE, at Pape Avenue, pair of houses for Col. W.H. Merritt, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 3 Jan. 1912, 63)
BALSAM AVENUE, pair of houses for Walter A. Scott, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 3 Jan. 1912, 68)
LYNDHURST AVENUE, residence for Otto G. Palm, 1916 (Const., ix, June 1916, 211)
NEVILLE PARK BOULEVARD, two detached houses for Albert L. Sanagan Real Estate Co., 1917 (Toronto b.p. 19732, 1917; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 1808)
KINGSWOOD ROAD, residence for Morris Reid, 1917 (Const., x, Nov. 1917, 399)
GERRARD STREET EAST, at Glenmore Road, five pairs of houses for Mrs. Jeanette Beaupre, 1919 (Toronto b.p. 20455, 22 Feb. 1919)
GERRARD STREET EAST, at Pickering Street, eighteen houses for W.G. Charters, 1919 (Toronto b.p. 21487, 9 April 1919; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 1850)
KINGSMOUNT PARK ROAD, near Duvernet Avenue, pair of houses for Albert L. Sanagan Real Estate Co., 1919 (Toronto b.p. 22713, 16 May 1919; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 1773)
SCARBOROUGH ROAD, residence for H. McCrea, 1919 (Toronto b.p., 24927, 2 Aug. 1919; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 1775)
SCARBOROUGH ROAD, near Bracken Avenue, a group of bungalows for W.J. Crabbe, 1920 (Toronto b.p. 30781, 1920; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2156)
KEYSTONE AVENUE, at Beck Avenue, residence for J. Kritzer, 1920 (Toronto b.p. 33152, 1920; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2174)
PINE CRESCENT, near Pline Glen Road, residence at No. 42 Pine Crescent, for an unnamed owner, 1924 (Toronto b.p. 54177, 1924; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2337)
ISABELLA STREET, at Jarvis Street, apartment house for F.E. Taylor, 1924 (Toronto b.p. 69918, 22 April 1924)
YONGE STREET, at Glengrove Avenue, apartment house for H. Falk, 1926 (Toronto b.p. 88520, 24 April 1926; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2416)
OSHAWA, ONT., Buckingham Manor, an apartment house for Harry Davidson, Simcoe Street North at Buckingham Avenue, 1927 (C.R., xlii, 25 April 1928, 57, t.c.; Globe [Toronto], 14 July 1927, 12; Toronto Star, 8 Dec. 1927, 26, descrip.)
WOODBINE AVENUE, near Queen Street East, apartment block for Mrs. M.J. Ingram, 1927 (Toronto b.p. A129, 23 June 1927; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2510)
WILLINGDON APARTMENTS, Queen Street West at Claude Avenue, for Floyd J. Reynolds, 1927 (C.R., xli, 12 Oct. 1927, 53)
BRANTFORD ONT., two apartment houses with 20 units each, with connecting link, Colborne Street at Drummond Street, in the East Ward, 1928 (Brantford Expositor, 7 April 1928, 21, descrip.)
HUBBARD AVENUE, at Glen Manor Road, apartment house for Percy Balderston, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 22 Feb. 1928, 139)
SHERBOURNE STREET, at Wellesley Street East, 4 storey apartment house for Herbert E. Warrington, 1929 (Toronto Daily Star, 12 April 1929, 30, descrip.; Toronto b.p. B5688, 2 April 1929)
QUEEN STREET EAST, east of Victoria Park Avenue, a 4 storey apartment block for P. Balderson, 1930 (Toronto Star, 30 May 1930, 33, descrip.)
AVENUE ROAD, at St. Clair Avenue West, duplex houses for J.J. Bartlett & Co., 1930; demol. (Toronto b.p. B 16190, 16 June 1930; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 112)
WYNDENE APARTMENTS,, Kingston Road at Kingswood Road, a 3 storey apartment block at south-west corner, for H.E. Warrington, 1931; still standing in 2024 at 983 Kingston Road (Toronto Star, 9 Jan. 1931, 7, descrip.) and the matching building beside it called....
WILLINGDON APARTMENTS, Kingston Road at Kingswood Road, 1931; still standing in 2024 at 987 Kingston Road (inf. Barbara Myrvold, Toronto)
ALGONQUIN ISLAND, residence for Mrs. Kathleen Howell, 1938 (Toronto b.p. B 59038, April 1938; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2854)
FLEETWOOD APARTMENTS, St. Clair Avenue West near Deer Park Crescent, 1938-39 (Toronto Daily Star, 8 April 1938, 36, illus. & descrip.; Financial Post [Toronto], 11 June 1938, 15, descrip.; J. Kinsella, Historical Walking Tour of Deer Park, 1996, 33, illus.; Tim Morawetz, Art Deco Architecture Across Canada, 2017, 144, illus. & descrip.)
H.J. CHOWN (Institutional & Ecclesiastical works in Toronto)
BEECH AVENUE METHODIST CHURCH, major addition, 1917 (Const., x, Sept. 1917, 330)
CALVARY BAPTIST CHURCH & SUNDAY SCHOOL, Main Street at Benlamond Avenue, 1928-29; and Sunday School, 1929 (Toronto Daily Star, 16 Dec. 1927, 8, illus.; C.R., xlii, 25 Jan. 1928, 64; and 9 May 1928, 476, illus.; Toronto b.p. B2115, 4 Oct. 1928; Globe [Toronto], 24 June 1929, 18, descrip.; Telegram [Toronto], 29 Oct. 1929, 30, descrip.; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 4134)
ST. JOHN'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, Kingston Road near Malvern Avenue, 1931-32, and rectory for the church, Beaufort Road and Glenmanor Drive, 1931 (Toronto Daily Star, 17 April 1931, 31, illus. & descrip.; and 12 June 1931, 32; Toronto b.p. 24496, 5 June 1931; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 241 and File 242; inf. from Archdiocese of Toronto)
TORONTO EAST GENERAL HOSPITAL, Coxwell Avenue at Sammon Avenue, major addition, 1938 (C.R., li, 27 April 1938, 45)
H.J. CHOWN (Commercial and Industrial works in Toronto)
QUEEN STREET EAST, at Kingswood Road, commercial block of 4 stores and apartments above, for F.J. Cummings, 1918 (City of Toronto b.p. 15931, April 1918; inf. Barbara Myrvold, Toronto)
MAIN STREET, near Gerrard Street East, store, office and bakery for W.H. Snell, 1919 (Toronto b.p. 20021, 2 Jan. 1919; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 1921)
GERRARD STREET EAST, between Bellhaven Road and Bowmore Road, a row of 12 stores, with apartments above, 1919 (Toronto b.p. 20418, 1919; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 1923)
WILLARD'S CHOCOLATES LTD., Dupont Street at Manning Avenue, factory and warehouse, 1919; addition, 1920 (Toronto b.p. 27816, 25 Nov. 1919; and 28616, 17 Feb. 1920; C.R., xxxiv, 9 June 1920, 13, illus. in advert.; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2541)
DECALOMANIA CO., King Street East near Sackville Street, warehouse, 1920 (C.R., xxxiv, 21 July 1920, 56; and 17 Nov. 1920; Toronto b.p. 34465, 30 Sept. 1920)
LOBLAW GROCETERIA CO. LTD., St. Helen's Avenue near Dundas Street West, warehouse, workshop and garage, 1923 (C.R., xxxvii, 22 Aug. 1923, 53)
KINGSTON ROAD, store and dwelling for Mr. Lusted, 1922 (Toronto b.p. 51242, 26 July 1922; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2673)
KINGSTON ROAD, pair of stores and dwellings for Mr. Wightman, 1925 (Toronto b.p. 77236, 18 Feb. 1925; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2738)
KINGSTON ROAD, store and dwelling for W.J. Crabbe, 1925 (Toronto b.p. 83430, 1925; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 2675)
YONGE STREET, north of Roselawn Avenue, commercial block for Independent Builders Ltd., 1927 (Toronto b.p. 98965, 23 Aug. 1927; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 3101)
QUEEN STREET EAST, near Kenilworth Avenue, retail store and apartments for E. George Wightman, 1930 (Weekly Building Reporter & Real Estate Review [Toronto], 14 June 1930, 4)
ALLCOCK, LAIGHT & WESTWOOD LTD., Laird Drive, factory, 1938 (C.R., li, 25 May 1938, 33)
LESLIE STREET, west side, near Unwin Avenue, large dance hall with iron truss roof, for W. Henderson, 1940 (Toronto b.p. B 68912, 13 Aug. 1940; dwgs. at City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 410, File 1071)