Thomas Fuller (1823-1898)
Backgrounder
Thomas Fuller was one of Canada’s most accomplished architects and civil servants who created a founding national image for Canada through his influential design for the original Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa. The approximately 140 buildings constructed when Fuller was Chief Architect for the Department of Public Works between 1881 and 1896 gave material form to the federal presence in towns and cities across the expanding Dominion and provided many communities with their most imposing work of architecture. Fuller also professionalized the Chief Architect’s Branch, transforming it into a group of experts eminently capable of producing a wealth of individualized designs for their client departments. As a designer in private practice and the public service, Fuller produced a body of distinguished buildings that was at or near the forefront of a number of mid-to-late 19th-century styles.
Fuller was born in Bath, England, in 1823 where he lived for 34 years before he immigrated to Canada. Fuller’s career was strongly influenced by the Neo-classical architecture of this picturesque city. In 1838, at the age of 15, Fuller began a seven-year apprenticeship under the Bath architect James Wilson. He studied briefly at the Royal Academy Schools in London and is believed to have contributed drawings to a three-volume series authored by Joshua Arthur and Raphael Brandon on Early English ecclesiastical architecture. Upon completion of his studies in 1845, Fuller was elected to the Royal Institute of British Architects.
Fuller earned his first commission immediately upon qualifying as an architect. His monumental St. John’s Cathedral on the island of Antigua still stands today. Between 1845 and 1857, he designed over 20 buildings, first in partnership with William Bruce Gingell, then with James Wilson and finally independently. English Heritage has recognized a number of these buildings as nationally significant.
In 1857, Fuller left England for Toronto. There, he formed the partnership of Fuller, Messer & Jones and the group designed several traditional Anglican churches, among them St. Stephen’s-in-the-Fields (1858) in Toronto. In 1859, the firm won the prestigious commission for the Parliament Building in Ottawa, only recently named the capital of the Province of Canada. The building survived as the original Centre Block on Parliament Hill after Confederation, until it was destroyed by fire in 1917. The completed building was judged among the best Gothic Revival designs anywhere. The success of its Gothic Revival design helped the firm earn the commission for the New York State Capitol in Albany in 1867, although for political reasons, American architects completed the project. In 1871, Fuller partnered with Augustus Laver to design the San Francisco City Hall and Law Courts (now demolished). Both the New York State Capitol and a residence designed by Fuller for the founder of Cornell University are now on the National Register of Public Landmarks in the United States.
Fuller returned to Canada in 1881 to accept an appointment as Dominion Chief Architect in the Department of Public Works. During his 15-year tenure, he supervised the design of over 140 buildings across the country, including 80 post offices. His designs were highly regarded by his peers. Perhaps more than any other architect, Fuller brought his personal stamp to the architecture produced by the Department of Public Works. The post offices executed under his supervision are immediately identifiable due to their picturesque massing, stone gables, and clock towers; their designs synthesize disparate styles in a way that captured the restless historicism of the late Victorian period. As a group, these buildings gave material form to the federal presence across the country. Beyond his work as a designer, Fuller made a major contribution to the Department of Public Works by creating a large, professional departmental staff, able to respond to the needs of the ever-expanding federal public service.
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