Architect
John Ostell (7 August 1813 – 6 April 1892), an architect, surveyor, and manufacturer, was born in London, England, and emigrated to Canada in 1834. He apprenticed with Montreal surveyor André Trudeau, mastering French surveying methods. In 1837, Ostell married Eleonore Gauvin from a prominent French Catholic family, which facilitated his entry into French Canadian society. He soon became the diocesan architect for Montreal, and in 1849, he partnered with his nephew Henri-Maurice Perrault, establishing one of Canada's first architectural dynasties. Primarily working in the Greek Revival style, Ostell’s early Montreal projects include the city's first Custom House, completed in 1836, followed by the McGill University Arts Building (1839–1843), the oldest on McGill’s campus, now the McCall MacBain Arts Building. Other notable works included the Asile des Soeurs de la Providence (1842, demolished), the High School of Montreal (1845, demolished), and the Protestant Orphan Asylum (1848, demolished). In 1849, he designed the Palais épiscopal (burned in 1852), followed by Eglise de Notre-Dame-de-Toutes-Grâces (1851), St. Anne’s Church (1853, demolished), and the Grand Séminaire de Montréal (1854). His design for the Old Montreal Court House (1856–1859), now Édifice Lucien-Saulnier, is among his most enduring. In 1849, Ostell entered the design competition for Toronto’s new St. James Cathedral, earning second place to Frederick William Cumberland. His only surviving residential project is the home of Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine at 1395 Overdale Ave, Montreal, which was restored in 2019 after decades of neglect by the developer of the surrounding condominium complex.
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