The Architects of our City

Alger Building, 35-37 King St. E., Oshawa
Norman Alexander Armstrong

Norman Alexander Armstrong was born September 2, 1882 in Queenston on a Niagara River farm which was a Crown grant to his great-grandfather James Durham, an United Empire Loyalist.  Son of William Armstrong and Catherine Durham, his early education was in Queenston and Niagara Falls before coming to Toronto in 1902 to study architecture.  For several years he worked under leading architects in San Francisco and Pittsburgh before moving back to Toronto in 1920 to establish his own practice.

While working in Pittsburgh he married Imilda Jane Gould and they had two sons Norman Alexandra Jr. and William Gould.  Norman Jr. became an engineer and William was an architect.  Both sons worked with the family firm N. A. Armstrong, Architect and Industrial Engineer in Toronto, with offices at 19 Melinda St.

In 37 years of practice Norman Armstrong designed and built many homes and buildings in Toronto and the surrounding area.  Norman was on the forefront of the latest designs and was known as an architect who was not timid in using new materials.  The Aluminum Company of Canada used his designs of the Canadian Pad & Paper Co. offices in there advertising for their aluminum windows and building materials.  This building and the International Harvesters building on Bathurst were designed by Norman in the Art Moderne style.

Other notable buildings of his design were the Hooper Drug store on the corner of Bloor and Sherbourne in 1928, the Savarin Tavern on Bay St. in 1929, the Silver Rail Restaurant in the Ryrie building at Youge and Shuter in 1934 and the Swansea Town Hall in 1957.  All these buildings have been designated under the Heritage Act.

Norman designed a number of homes using a classical revival style with a modern influence.  3 May St. in Toronto was designed in 1937 for Fred A. Fielder.  The grand staircase in an Art Moderne style is made of aluminum, the fireplace built of a modern limestone block.

When the Alger building on King St was destroyed by fire in 1927, N. A. was hired as the firm to design the new building.  The four story building was described as a modern adaptation of an Italian design.  The ground floor and basement were designed for the Traymore Savarin Restaurant and furnished with the latest equipment.  The upper stories were designed for offices.  There were serviced by automatic high speed elevators and had the latest in lighting, heating and plumbing.

Norman Armstrong lived for many years at his home, 6 Brule Terrace, Toronto.  He died May 3 1957 and was buried in Parklawn Cemetery.