Russell Road is named in honour of James Russell, architect
James Russell Stratford-Perth Archives
James Simpson Russell, architect
James Simpson Russell (1870-1937) was an important regional architect in southwestern Ontario from 1900 until after 1930. From his office in Stratford, he obtained commissions in locations as far north as Parry Sound and Midland, eastward to Oshawa, south to Port McNichol, and throughout Perth, Huron and Waterloo counties. Born in Scotland in 1870, he immigrated to Canada in 1888 and lived in Nappanee and Toronto, as well as in Pennsylvania.
While in Toronto, he trained with the prominent architect William R. Gregg from 1889 to 1892 (Toronto City Directory, 1889).
In 1893 he was one of eight architects selected by the Presbyterian Church in Canada to prepare plans for a prototype for a small-town church, to be built in various Ontario locations.
His plans and perspective drawings for that model church were published in Designs for Village, Town and City Churches by the committee on church architecture, 1893, pages 16-18. A copy of that rare early-Canadian pattern book is held at the United Church Archives, Toronto.
Bandshell on the Avon River drive 1930
In 1897, Russell moved to Stratford, Ont., to become chief assistant to Harry J. Powell, a successful architect. In 1901, he opened his own office in Stratford and lived at 35 Shrewsbury St. In 1903, he was invited by Robert Thomas Orr to form a partnership in Stratford. Their collaboration was relatively brief, and ended in 1906 when Russell returned to practising under his own name. He then maintained his own office for the next three decades.
He had a wide-ranging practice and produced designs for at least four Carnegie library buildings, more than a dozen churches, and a dozen public and separate schools throughout south and central Ontario. His ecclesiastical works were invariably Gothic in style, with distinctive corner towers, which made them landmarks in small Ontario towns such as Brussels, Owen Sound, Midland and New Hamburg. However, his details and façade treatment often lacked the refinement and attention to scholarly detail evident in the church designs of Henry Langley or Edmund Burke or J. Gibb Morton, all of whom set a high standard for ecclesiastical design that others were to follow.
Russell continued to practise until after 1930. He did design work for more that 20 buildings in Stratford. He died unexpectedly at age 68 in 1937. Source: Biographical Dictionary of Architect
List of Works
CHURCH STREET, residence for Dr. J. A. Bothwell, 1901
WELLINGTON STREET, a double house for Dr. Edward Henry Eidt,
CARNEGIE LIBRARY, St. Andrew Street, 1902-03
ONTARIO STREET, residence for William Joseph McCulley, 1902
WELLINGTON STREET, residence for Stephen J. Mallion, 1902
GLOBE-WERNICKE CO., King Street, large factory, 1902
WINDSOR HOTEL, Albert Street, a large three-storey addition
NILE STREET, residence for Mrs. Jane McEwen, 1906
BADOUR SHOES CO., Downie Street, a two-storey brick retail store for John B. Badour
RUSTON PLANING MILL, Milton Street, for Thomas M. Ruston, 1906
STRATFORD GAS CO., additions to gas plant, 1907
LORETTO ROMAN CATHOLIC ACADEMY, Waterloo Street South, major addition, 1907-08
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH, Erie Street at St. David Street, 1908
ST. ANDREW’S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
MEMORIAL BAPTIST CHURCH, Ontario Street at Nile Street, 1915; with addition of a Sunday school building, 1922
ISOLATION HOSPITAL, John Street South, for the Stratford Hospital Trust, 1922
STRATFORD GENERAL HOSPITAL, John Street South, major addition, 1922
PARKVIEW UNITED CHURCH AND SUNDAY SCHOOL, Parkview Drive, 1925
YOUNG WOMEN’S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION, Waterloo Street, 1926
NURSES' HOME, John Street South, 1929
FALSTAFF PUBLIC SCHOOL, Waterloo Street North, 1929
MASONIC TEMPLE, Church Street at St. Andrew Street, 1930
OUTDOOR BANDSHELL, Lakeside Drive, in about 1930 (See Veterans Drive )