David Stirling (6 December 1822 - 13 April 1887) was a Canadian

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

of Scottish birth. In 1872 he was made Dominion architect for the federal works in

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native En ...

and in 1880 he became one of the first associate architects of the

Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor Genera ...

. Born in

Galashiels Galashiels (; sco, Gallae, gd, An Geal Àth) is a town in the Scottish Borders with a population of around 12,600. Its name is often colloquially shortened to "Gala". The town is a major commercial centre for the Borders region with extensiv ...

, Stirling was the son of

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, ...

James Stirling. After training as an architect in his native country, he emigrated to

St. John's, Newfoundland St. John's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, located on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the island of Newfoundland. The city spans and is the easternmost city in North Ameri ...

in 1847, where he played a major role in rebuilding portions of the town destroyed by fire the previous year. He spent the next 35 years designing and building a wide array of buildings out of practices in Charlottetown, Halifax, and Toronto. Having never retired, he died in Charlottetown in 1887 at the age of 64.

Selected works

File:Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (1).JPG, The Dominion Building in Halifax, Nova Scotia was designed by David Stirling and constructed between 1863 and 1868. It serves today as the

Art Gallery of Nova Scotia The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia (AGNS) is a public provincial art museum based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The art museum's primary building complex is located in downtown Halifax and takes up approximately of space. The museum complex compr ...

File:Garden of the Gulf.jpg, Garden of the Gulf Museum, Montague (originally the Montague Post Office and Customs House, built 1887–1888); Prince Edward Island File:HensleyChapel KingsEdgehill.jpg, Hensley Chapel, King's College, Windsor, NS, designed by David Stirling and

William Critchlow Harris William Critchlow Harris (30 April 1854 – 16 July 1913) was an English-born Canadian architect noted mainly for his ecclesiastical and domestic projects in Maritime Canada. He was born near Liverpool, England to Welsh parents but moved to P ...

File:Fernwood Halifax.jpg, Fernwood, Halifax (built 1860) * Pictou County Court House (1855) * Fernwood, Halifax (1860) *

Halifax Club The Halifax Club is a private club in Halifax, Nova Scotia that was established in 1862. The club serves as a meeting place for business-minded men and women. It is a place where they can "meet, toast the day's successes, dine or simply relax in ...

(1862) * Library and Museum at King's College, (1862–63); Chapel, (1877),

Windsor, Nova Scotia Windsor is a community located in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a service centre for the western part of the county and is situated on Highway 101. The community has a history dating back to its use by the Mi'kmaq Nation for seve ...

(by Stirling & Dewar) * Alexander Keith's residence (1863) * He built the first South Street Poor House (1869) in Halifax after going to the states to get ideas. It had a fireproof arch which was subsequently, and without his permission, penetrated by not only an elevator but also by unsealed pipe holes. A fire broke out in the basement that destroyed the Poor House on November 6–7, 1882. 33 patients were trapped in the fifth-floor hospital and died.Peter McGuigan. ''The South Street Poor House: a Century of Despair''. *

Hyndman Building Hyndman is a Scottish surname. Origins The surname Hyndman has two origins. First, it may be an occupational surname, either from 'farm labourer' + , or a variant of . Second, it may have originated from a nickname, possibly 'courteous' + . Var ...

, 57 Queen Street, Charlottetown (originally the Victoria Building, 1866) * Custom House, 40 Great George Street, Charlottetown (originally the Bank of Prince Edward Island, built 1867–1868) * Presbyterian Church of St. David, Halifax (originally the Grafton Street Methodist Church, built 1868–1869) * Fort Massey United Church, Halifax (1870) * St. Matthew's Manse, Halifax (1874) * Kirk of St. James Presbyterian Church, Charlottetown (1877) * Falconwood Insane Asylum / Hospital, Charlottetown (built 1877–1879) * H.H. Houle House, 96-98 Prince Street, Charlottetown (1879) * South Shore United Church, Tryon (1880) * Summerside City Hall, Summerside (originally the Summerside Post Office, built from 1883 to 1886) * MacLennan House, 235-237 Prince Street, Charlottetown (1886) *

Convocation Hall Convocation Hall is a domed rotunda on the grounds of the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Designed by Darling and Pearson and completed in 1907, its radially planned interior has been compared to the grand amphitheatre of the S ...

King's-Edgehill School King's-Edgehill School is a Canadian private university-preparatory boarding and day school located in the town of Windsor, Nova Scotia Windsor is a community located in Hants County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a service centre for the w ...

(1861)

References

External

Historic places in Canada
* 1822 births 1887 deaths Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Scottish architects 19th-century Canadian architects {{Canada-architect-stub