Talk:George Browne (architect)

Bank of Montréal, Kingston?
Not sure about "Buildings designed by Browne which are still in use include Kingston City Hall, the Bank of Montreal building in Kingston (now the Frontenac Apartments and the Molsons Bank"

There is a Frontenac Club or Frontenac Club Inn (frontenacclub.com, 225 King St. East) as a $400/night "boutique" property in a former bank building in Kingston, but www.visitkingston.ca/the-history-behind-kingstons-historic-inns describes it as:
 * Frontenac Club
 * 225 King Street East
 * In 1845, the Bank of Montreal opened its first purpose-built branch in Kingston. Previously, the bank had relied on bank agents, who operated out of post offices or retail stores in different communities. There had been a bank agent in Kingston since 1817, the first in Upper Canada. This new branch, at the corner of King and William streets, was designed by architect Edward Crane.
 * The bank was on the first floor. (Today, the Bank Gastrobar is on the footprint of the original bank floor: the bar is where the teller’s cage would have been, and the vault is now a private dining room that seats eight.) The bank manager and his family lived on the second floor. The bank tellers lived on the third floor, and the security staff lived in the basement.
 * In 1906, the building was sold and in 1908 it became a private club, called the Frontenac Club. The Bank of Montreal moved to a new location, just two blocks away at King and Clarence Street.
 * The Frontenac Club was a members-only club for men: its membership, which totalled up to 250 local men, included politicians, businessmen, professors, and military officers. Here, they dined, talked shop, and played cards or billiards. Club staff lived next door in another limestone building on William Street. This house, dating back to 1826, was originally owned by Richard Cartwright, who settled in Kingston in 1784.
 * A 1908 purpose-built structure between the two buildings included a bowling alley for members. This William Street building was constructed from limestone quarried on site.
 * The club was sold in 1935 and later became apartments.
 * In its newest iteration as a boutique inn, the three buildings have been renovated and connected to create a seamless structure. The bowling alley space is now filled with a guest lounge and a suite. Part of the old bowling alley floor has been preserved as a large coffee table in the lounge.

So who designed this building? If it's Edward Crane (and not George Browne) this doesn't belong on this page. There are multiple notable structures - not just the city hall - which are George Browne creations in mid-1800's Kingston, but is the Bank one of them or not? 66.102.87.40 (talk) 18:17, 9 April 2023 (UTC)