Neil R. Darrach

Neil R. Darrach (1850–1926) was a noted Canadian architect from St. Thomas, Ontario. He was architect for over five designated heritage properties in St. Thomas, Ontario and Regina, Saskatchewan. He was primarily active in the later 19th century.

Neil was born in Southwold Township, Ontario in 1850. He moved to St. Thomas as a youth and became involved in construction at the start of the railway boom in the early 1870s. Darrach received no formal training as an architect, but it was suggested he learnt the trade primarily through trade books and experience.

Simplicity of form and emphasis on symmetry using a central hall plan characterizes most of Darrach's buildings . Darrach's first building was designed in 1879. This was the Centre Street Baptist Church in St. Thomas, one of many church designs to follow. Neil would also work on the First United Church, the Grand Central Hotel (subsequently destroyed in the later 20th century), St. Thomas Masonic Hall, Myrtle and Balaclava Street Schools; and several prominent homes in the community in addition to the heritage buildings described below. In 1898 disaster struck the Elgin County Courthouse (which was originally designed in 1854 by John Turner) where a significant portion of the building was destroyed by fire. Darrach was retained to re-design the building and did so under the present Palladian style. The building is still in use today and recently received a government grant of over 100 million dollars for renovations. Perhaps one of Neil's more prominent constructions was the design of the St. Thomas City hall in 1898–99. Darrach's design was chosen out of 10 applications submitted. The building was designed in the late Richardsonian Romanesque style. Subsequently in 1903, Neil was retained to design the City Public Library. This was achieved through Neoclassical Revival style (which now serves as a municipal building extension)adjacent to the city hall. the building was largely paid for by a Carnegie Foundation grant. Other designated heritage properties designed by Darrach include; the late Victorian building the Southern Loan Building which still has 16 functioning vaults, The Princess Avenue Play House (once a church, now a theatre) built in 1907. Despite the catalogue of buildings that are known to be built by Darrach, there is often controversy surrounding the history of some other buildings of historical value in the city which are sometimes argued to be designed by Neil. Over 24 buildings in St. Thomas are known to be designed by Neil.

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