Francis Conroy Sullivan was born in Kingston, Ontario, on July 2, 1882. He was a student, work colleague and friend of Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), of Chicago, recognized in 1991 by the Institute American architects as the greatest American architect in history.
After a brief career with the Canadian Department of Public Works, from 1908 to 1911, Sullivan successfully opened his own firm. In 1920 he moved to the United States, where he became the chief architect of the Chicago Public School Board. Sullivan died on April 4, 1929 in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. He is only 46 years old.
A prolific architect
In the federal capital, Francis Conroy Sullivan drew the plans for several notable constructions, notably the modern Powers style houses erected in 1915 at 429-431 Bay Street and Connors, built the same year at 166 Huron Avenue North as well as the bridge of O’Connor Street built in 1907, at Patterson Creek, near the Rideau Canal. However, the Horticulture Building dating from 1914 at Lansdowne Park remains one of his most remarkable works.
For Franco-Ontarian built heritage, we owe to Sullivan the Saint-Charles French-speaking schools, built in 1910 on Springfield Street, in New Edinburgh, and Sacré-Cœur, completed in 1912, on Melrose Street, in the Hintonburg district, in the west of the city. We have already introduced these two buildings in our previous columns (see below).
The former Sacré-Cœur school, located at 19 Melrose Avenue in west Ottawa. (Patrick Woodbury/Le Droit)
At these two French-language schools, Sullivan also drew the architectural plans for four classrooms at the Garneau school, in Côte-de-Sable. This building is being demolished to allow for the expansion of the University of Ottawa campus.
It is important to note that several of the structures created by Sullivan are designated cultural property under the Ontario Heritage Act. This is also the case for the former Saint-Charles and Sacré-Cœur schools, both of which have been transformed into apartment buildings.
A pioneer of modern architecture
Francis Conroy Sullivan was a pioneer of Prairie School modern architecture in Canada. Moreover, he does not hesitate to condemn what he considers to be retrograde architectural trends, although they were still in vogue in the capital at the start of the 20th century. Instead, the architect chose a style that would later be associated with the modern movement.
Indeed, in 1913, Sullivan created a plan in this style for his personal residence. The two-story residence is rather discreet, but still attractive. It is distinguished in particular by its stucco cladding, its overhanging eaves and its rectilinear wooden bands. Note also the presence of a porch on the front. In fact, the Sullivan House, with its modest dimensions and flat roof, constitutes quite a contrast to the much more imposing neighboring dwellings.
-In addition, the Sullivan House appears sober compared to other luxurious modern-style residences erected at the beginning of the 20th century by the famous architect. It seems that the architect reserved the plans of imposing houses for his clients rather than for his own.
However, this does not prevent his residence in Côte-de-Sable from being listed on the Ontario Heritage Property Registry. A plaque placed on the porch by the City of Ottawa in 1987 reminds us that the home is protected for future generations.
Sources
Local Advisory Committee on Architectural Conservation, Ottawa Built Heritage GuideVille d’Ottawa, 2000, 250 p.
Sullivan House-Ottawa-Ontario Heritage Properties on Waymarketing.com
J. Douglas Stewart, « Sullivan, Francis Conroy ” In The Canadian Encyclopedia
Wikipedia« Francis Conroy Sullivan »
