1889 – Windsor Station, Montreal, Quebec

In 1887, Canadian Pacific, just after completing the country’s first transcontinental railway, began building Windsor Station. The company wished to have a suitably imposing station where it could locate its head office. Bruce Price, the American architect responsible for Windsor Station, designed it in a Romanesque Revival style. CP then called on Price again, giving him the opportunity to create the “chateau” hotel style that would become the company’s architectural trademark. Windsor Station was completed in 1889, and substantially expanded in 1900-1903 and 1910-1913 by Canadian architects. The firm of Edward and William Maxwell handled the third phase, which included a fifteen-storey tower, and managed to maintain the superb overall character of the building.

The distinguishing feature of Windsor Station is its rugged appearance. The rusticated arrangement of the gray stone, in true Montreal tradition, contributes to this impression of strength, as do such Romanesque-inspired forms as the great arches rising three storeys high. Price was dissatisfied with the result, however, feeling that it lacked character. Windsor Station by no means suffers in that regard, but it no doubt had a character different from what the architect had in mind. For him, even at that time, character meant being picturesque.

Running parallel to the concourse is the main waiting room, with the ticket offices between and the ladies’ and men’s waiting spaces at the ends. The general finish is of marble, with the design kept simple and effective, the lighting accomplished by lamp standards with incandescent tungsten lamps in clusters of six surrounding a large centre globe of white glass.

At the end of the concourse, near the elevator approach from St. Antoine street, is located the dining-room, restaurant and serving pantry, tastily decorated. At the opposite end of the concourse, and running along Osborne street, are the baggage and express rooms, with necessary offices, etc. Directly underneath the trainshed are accommodated the huge vaults and emigration quarters with natural lighting, on account of the slope towards St. Antoine street, where the entrances to this department have been arranged.

The first floor, aside from completing the lofty height of the concourse and waiting-rooms, is laid out for the car accountant’s staff, as well as the quarters for the treasurer, paymaster, car service, baggage agent, manager and accountant of eastern division, and superintendent of terminals. On the second floor are housed the staffs for the president, general passenger and traffic, tourists, etc. ; on the third floor auditors for agencies, disbursements, as well as freight traffic staff, press bureau and advertising department; on the fourth floor engineering rooms, and auditor of passenger receipts; on the fifth floor auditor of freight and telegraph. The tower plans, seven in all, are used respectively for the departments of photography, general fall, hotel, building construction, engineering clerical corps and tank room.
Construction, August 1915

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