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J.H. Birks House(1900-1)
1547 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, QC, Canada
Residential, Urban house (detached, basement, 2 floors, attic); brick; composite

Client: J.H. Birks
Architect: E. Maxwell

Description: This ample (48’ x 54’) mansion on Pine Avenue is atypical of early Edward Maxwell residential work. The house conforms to a strict symmetry, with serene classical elevations capped by balustrades. John Henry Birks, was the second son of Henry Birks, founder of Henry Birks and Sons (100) whose store on Sainte-Catherine Street was designed by E. Maxwell in 1893. J. Henry Birks joined his father’s firm at 23 after obtaining an engineering degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He would oversee the production shops. The house’s ground floor is organised around an octagonal hall that connects the entrance to the staircase, library, drawing and dining rooms. The first floor includes four bedrooms, three of them facing Pine Avenue, a playroom and a sitting room. A small attic penthouse accommodates the servant’s rooms. The present owners are the Montreal General Hospital as the Community Mental Health Centre.

Holdings: Urban house (detached, basement, 2 floors, attic); brick; composite
40 Drawings: 34 ink on linen; 4 ink on paper; 2 blueprints
2 Presentation drawings: floor plans
9 Working drawings: floor plans, attic floor plan, roof plan, elevations, section
29 Detail drawings: site profile, site plan, elevations, sections, livingroom, bedroom, hall, structure, mantelpieces, chimneys, windows, bay, doors, galleries, balustrade, brickwork
1 Photograph: 1 finished exterior

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