Date Published:
September 2007

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

James Penrose Anglin

ANGLIN, James Penrose, B.Sc. - President,. Anglin-Norcross, Ltd., Contracting Engineers, Builders of all classes of Building Construction, 65 Victoria Street, Montreal, Que. Born Kingston, Ont., Feb. 20, 1876, son of William B. and Sarah Frances (Baker) Anglin. Educated: Kingston Public and High Schools; Queen's University (one year); McGill University (B.Sc., in Architectural Engineering, 1906). Apprentice carpenter, Win. Rogers, Kingston , 1889-1893; Carpenter, etc., World's Fair, Chicago , 1893; Architect's Assistant, Robt. Findlay, Montreal, 1898-1901; Architect Supt., Head Office, Bank of Montreal, 1901-05; organized and supervised Architectural Dept., Bank of Montreal, 1905-07; entered contracting business, 1907. Organized Anglin's Ltd., 1913; now President of Anglin-Norcross, Ltd., which was organized in 1919, in conjunction with Henry J. Gross, of Norcross Brothers Co. The following buildings give some idea of the scope of works constructed by Mr. Anglin's organization: Halifax Shipyards (three buildings); Canadian Vickers Co. (Shipbuilding berths), Maisonneuve; Canadian Ingersoll Rand Co., Sherbrooke; Ames-Holden McCready, Ltd., Montreal; Grinnell Co. of Canada, Ltd., Toronto; Knit-to-Fit Mfg. Co., Montreal; Steel Co. of Canada, Ltd., Montreal; Montreal Abattoirs, Ltd., Montreal; International Mfg. Co., Montreal; Northern Electric Co., Montreal; Williams Mfg. Co., Montreal; Canadian Cottons, Ltd., Cornwall; Belding Paul Corticelli, Ltd., Montreal; St. Lawrence Sugar Refineries, Montreal; Acadia Sugar Refinery (five buildings), Dartmouth, N.S.; Canada Life Bldg., Ottawa; Bell Telephone Co. (head office add.), Montreal; Goodwins Ltd., Departmental Store, Montreal; Henry Birks & Sons (additions), Halifax; Canadian Bank of Commerce, Windsor, Ont.; Merchants Bank of Canada, Toronto, Ont.; Chateau Frontenac (rebuilding and additions), Quebec (1921,1923); Live Stock Arena, Exhibition Grounds, Toronto; Kitchener High School; Queens Library; Insurance Exchange Bldg., Montreal; Drummond Court Apartments, Montreal. Past President, Montreal Builders' Exchange, 1917 and 1918; President of Assoc. of Candn. Building and Construction Industries, 1918-1920. Married Florence E. Christy, B.A., daughter of Gideon Christy, Sept. 2nd, 1902 ; has two sons and three daughters. Clubs: Montreal; Engineers'; Royal St. Lawrence Yacht; Royal Montreal Golf; Islemere Golf and Country Club; Rotary. Societies: Engineering Institute of Canada ; University Lodge, A.F. & A. M. Methodist. Residence: 682 Roslyn Ave., Westmount, Que.

Source: Prominent People of the Province of Quebec, 1923-24, Montreal, Biographical Society of Canada, Limited, undated and unpaginated.

James Penrose Anglin

Managing Director of Anglins Limited, General Contractors, Montreal, Canada.

JAMES PENROSE ANGLIN, a master in building design and construction, was born at Kingston, Ontario, February 20th, 1876. He is a son of William B. and Sarah Frances (Baker) Anglin. His education was obtained first in the schools of his native place, then at Queens University and finished at McGill University where he spent four years, graduating with the degree of B. Sc. In his very early youth he became an apprentice to the trade of Carpenter. In 1897, he moved to Montreal and went with Robert Finlay, (one of the leading architects of the city). It was while in this employment he thoroughly mastered all the details of the profession. His was the brains at the rebuilding of the Bank of Montreal head offices, for the firm of McKim, Mead & White, New York City. Mr. Anglin continued in charge of the architectural department of that bank designing all their many branches throughout the Dominion. In 1908, he formed the firm of Byers & Anglin, the title changing in 1912 to Byers & Anglin, Ltd. Mr. Anglin was the vice-president until January, 1913, when he became president of the company. He is also a director in the Sterling Investment Co., Ltd., and in the Concrete Products, Ltd. Early in 1913, Mr. Anglin and Mr. G. B. Allison organized "Anglins Limited " (a construction company with a million dollars capital) of which Mr. Anglin is the managing director. He is a member of the Masonic Fraternity and of the Montreal Club. He is an active church worker and is a trustee of St. James Methodist Church. Mr. Anglin was married to Florence E. Christy, September 2nd, 1902, and they are the parents of four children. Mr. Anglin has supervised the erection of many of the notable structures in Toronto and Montreal, and numerous of the leading buildings in Quebec, Halifax, Ottawa and throughout the entire Dominion of Canada.

Source: Canadian History Makers. A Volume Containing Accurate and Concise Sketches of Men who have Done Things in The Dominion of Canada Past and Present Together with Photogravures Made from their Latest Photographs, Montreal, Canadian Publication Society, 1913, 159p., p. 29.