Albert Asa Post

Information submitted by Ida Maack Recu

Albert Asa Post, architect, Manninb Arcade, Toronto Ontario, was born on January 29th 1850 at Pickering, Ontario. His parent's were Asa Post and Anne O'Reilly. His father was born in Canada and his mother born in Ireland. The subject of our sketch received his education at the public school and at St. Michael's College, Toronto, Ontario. After completing his education, he began the study of architecture in the offices of Messrs. Langley and Burke of Toronto. In the year 1879, he began his profession in the town of Whitby. His business, which is large and increasing, is not however confined to that place but extends over the whole province and neighbouring Republic where he has erected many important buildings. In 1891, he opened an office in Toronto associating with him A. W.  Holmes of London, England the firm being known as Post and Holmes. Mr. Post in religion is a Roman Catholic and in Politics is a Reformer. He is a member of the Whitby High School Board, a member of the Ontario Association of Architects, and is County Architect for Ontario County. He has reached the front in his profession and has a brilliant future before him. (source: Notes as gathered by Anne Powell: From: The Canadian Album, Men of Canada, or Success by Example, Edited by Rev. Wm. Cochrane, Vol. 1 1891. Bradley Garretson & Co. Brantford Ontario)
 
The Buffalo Evening News (Buffalo, New York)
Albert Asa Post, one of the leading ecclesiastical architects of the country, died at his home 561 East Utica Street Monday, June 28, 1926 after an illness of 2 weeks. The most prominent of his works in Buffalo are the buildings of St. Mark's Catholic Church at Woodward Avenue and Amherst Street, the Nativity church buildings, the Annunciation church buildings, Mount St. Joseph's Academy and Stella Niagara schools as well as many church and school buildings in the Province of Ontario. Mr. Post was born in Whitby Ontario and educated at St. Michaels College in Toronto. He came to Buffalo in 1895. He was 76 years old.
 
Albert Asa Post was born January 29th 1850 in Pickering Ontario. His parents were Asa and Ann O’Reilly Post.  His father and his family operated inns along the King’s highway in Pickering and what is now Ajax.  Albert was educated at St. Michaels College after attending public school in Pickering.  He studied architecture as an apprentice to Mr. Henry Langley, the architect of Simcoe St. United Church and Mr. Langley’s nephew Edmund Burke.  In 1879, he opened his own practice at the four corners in Whitby.  He was a member of the Whitby School Board and the architect for the County of Ontario. In 1891 he joined together with A. W. Holmes of England to form the company Post and Holmes. Albert married Margaret Huggard on September 8 1891 in Toronto and they had three children Flora, Mary and Dr. John Asa Post. Albert designed a number of buildings in Whitby notably the residence of John Fothergill on Dundas St., the Barnes Arena on Ontario St., the St. John’s Rectory on John St. and renovations to the Ontario County Courthouse in 1882.

Albert also designed the Bowmanville High School in 1888, the Gymnasium for the Whitby Collegiate in 1889, the Dunbarton United Church in 1886 and the new spire for St. Basil’s Roman Catholic Church in Toronto in 1886.  He also was responsible for the design of the St. Michael College School in 1891 and the St. Michael’s Hospital in 1894. Albert Asa Post was known as a leading ecclesiastical architect.  Albert was a devote Catholic and designed a great number of Roman Catholic churches in Ontario and in Buffalo.  He designed the Annunciation Church in Buffalo in 1885, the Holy Name of Mary in St. Mary’s in 1892-93, St. Gregory’s Church in Oshawa in 1893, St. Peter’s in Goderich in 1896, St. Theresa’s in Buffalo in 1897, the Nativity Church in Buffalo in 1898 as well as the Mount St. Joseph’s Academy, Stella Niagara School and the Father Baker’s building in Lackawana. St. Gregory’s church, built in the French Romanesque style replaced a much smaller 1841 church on the site. The cornerstone was laid in June 1893 and the building was dedicated in 1895.  The design for St. Gregory’s church was illustrated in the journal Canadian Architects and Builders in 1896. Albert Asa Post moved to Buffalo in 1895 where he died on June 28 1926.  He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery, Buffalo. (source: Heritage Oshawa web site) (submitted by Ida Maack Recu)

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