From the July 14, 1959 issue of the Windsor Star:
-
ARCHITECT DIES AT 75
D.J. Cameron Scottish Born
David James Cameron, prominent Windsor architect for 38 years died Monday in hospital. He was 75 and had been in failing health since retiring a few years ago.
Mr. Cameron was born in the parish of Carmyllie, Forfarshire, Scotland. He was educated at the Morgan Academy, Dundee, and studied architecture in the office of Leslie Ower, F.R.I.B.A. (Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.)
He came to Canada in 1907, and for six years was at the office of Darling & Pearson of Toronto. In 1912 he went to New York for a course of study in the Beaux Arts Society of Architects.
The the outbreak of World War I he returned to Scotland and enlisted in the Royal Engineers. In 1916 Mr. Cameron was commissioned as a lieutenant and was demobilized in 1919.
Returning to Canada, he was in Toronto for a brief period before coming to Windsor in December 1919. He was on the staff of Howard Crane and other Detroit architects for about a year. In 1921 he opened an office in Windsor. His first important building was the Windsor-Walkerville Technical School (now Lowe Vocational School), which was won in a competition.
In 1922 he formed a partnership with William Ralston and designed many outstanding buildings. The first unit of the Essex County Sanatorium, Kennedy Collegiate, and the Bartlett Building are some. The partnership of Cameron & Ralston dissolved in 1929.
Since 1934, in addition to practicing architecture, he had been Windsor representative of the Ontario Loan and Debenture Company. He was also architect in charge of wartime housing in Windsor for its duration.
In recent years Mr. Cameron designed a number of buildings for the Bell Telephone Company, and the Windsor Utilities Commission. His last architectural accomplishment was the Windsor Utilities Commission office building at Ouellette Ave. and Elliott St.
Mr. Cameron is survived by his widow, Eva Bowlby Cameron; and one son Joseph Carruthers Cameron, both of Windsor. Funeral services will be held Wedensday at 3 p.m. D.S.T. in the Veale Funeral Home in Simcoe. Rev. David Milne of St. John’s Anglican Church in Simcoe will officiate.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
He really did design some of the nicer buildings in Windsor. Even the WUC offices on Ouellette are nice.
Spam.
– Great find Andrew. Cameron was a talented guy.
Wow! Quite the resume. I love all those buildings. Would the Essex County Sanatorium be IODE Hospital? Part of Kennedy CI’s charm is that large front lot and those towers. There never seems to be enough land around these fine properties. WD Lowe SS is a wonderful building. Is the Bell Canada building still being used? I was looking at it last week and thought it was pretty amazing, especial towards the top.
That is an impressive roster of work–have always liked the WUC HQ on Ouellette–great looking building.
The Bell Building on Goyeau was not Cameron’s, that was done by Montreal Architect F.J. McNabb… The Bell buildings were the smaller ones, the one on Francois (?) just south of David Maxwell school is one of his…
Is he the Cameron of Cameron Blvd?
Any one know where the Essex County Sanatorium was/is? Did it become IODE?
Lisa, there was one in Colchester – although I’ve never figured out exactly where. It was supposedly a satellite campus of Metropolitan.
Once upon a time there was one (Sanatorium) at Union on the Lake when TB was rampant.
Here’s a link to a page that has interesting history of Windsor’s medical history:
http://hih.uwindsor.ca/wordpress/index.php/2009/10/07/border-city-medicine-toward-a-history-of-health-practice-in-windsor/
I’m 99% sure the “First Unit” of the Sanatorium was as JBM mentioned at Union on the Lake. IODE/Western started out as a sanatorium as well, but it wasn’t the first unit, unless of course the article means phase one or the original buildings at IODE… I suspect however the Union location is the one they mean… I’ll have to dig out some info I have on it and post it next week.
The IODE sanatorium destroyed by fire in the article provided bt Robert P was that one located at Union on the Lake. I am not sure where I read this a long time ago but I will try to locate the reference.
OK – I looked through my files….
Here’s what I found.
Union on the Lake – 1913 Essex County Tuberculosis Hospital Gilbert Jacques & Co., Architects.
Cameron (David J.) & Ralston (William M.) – Prince Rd. – 1922 – Sanitorium for Essex County Council (IODE Hospital/Windsor Western)
The 1913 Sanitorum did burn down and was rebuilt… I’ll keep looking through my info. I know I have a rendering of it somewhere….
From “Garden Gateway to Canada” by Neil F. Morrison, 1954, Herald Press, p249:
“More than any other contagious disease (except the Influenza epidemic, which is described later) tuberculosis was most fatal at this time. Early in the decade the Windsor Border Chapter, I.O.D.E., was very actively engaged in raising funds for a tuberculosis hospital. The government also granted money, and other individuals and organizations contributed. Great difficulty was experienced in obtaining a site. Residents in the neighbourhood of proposed locations petitioned vigorously against the building for fear of contagion from patients, although assured by medical authorities that the disease was not pestilential to that degree. Soon, however, obstacles were overcome. A sanatorium reflecting great credit upon the Essex Health Association was opened at Union-on-th-Lake near Kingsville. Erected during the spring of 1913, it began with a capacity of eight beds and expanded to fifty beds. The main building was a two-storey structure thirty-five by forty feet, with two additional wings of similar proportions. Cottages were also built. This hospital rendered excellent service until fire destroyed the main building in 1920.”
Later in the book (p263), the author indicates that the hospital was relocated by the I.O.D.E to Sandwich in 1920 and remained named Essex County Sanatorium.
wow! thanks for digging up all this great info!
I am looking for any information on St. Joseph r.c. french school was Jos Janisse.
I went to school there in the late 1950. I can’t find any info.or pics. It’s
like the school doesn’t exist. Would appreciate any info.When did they take it
down, was it always called St.Joseph.
I live in the Carmyllie Parish in East Scotland where David Cameron was born – his father was James Cameron Schoolmaster at the East Public Schoolhouseand his mother was Fanny Cameron m.s Carruthers.They were married on 3 September 1878 in Kirkpartick Fleming which is in Dumfrieshire near the border with England. He was born on 25 December 1883 in the Schoolhouse – hope this helps
Jim Clark
Carmyllie Heritage Society
D. J. Cameron & W. Ralston designed the Richardson Library at Wilson Park, City of Windsor, also.