HENRY LANGLEY

(1836 – 1907)

Husband of Alice Booth, brother-in-law of Henry Wood Booth, and Uncle to George G. Booth (1836-1907), one of the earliest Canadian born renowned architects, devotee of the gothic revival architecture of William Burges and A.W.N. Pugin and other early leaders in the British Arts and Crafts movement, designed and built most of the very large 19th century neo-gothic churches in Toronto and Ontario, including for example, the Anglican Cathedral Church of St. James in St. James Park and the Metropolitan United Church, both in downtown Toronto, completed in 1874 and 1872 respectively. Henry Langley held the first chair for architectural studies at Toronto University and founded the Ontario Association of Architects in 1889. Langley was also the architect of the Toronto head office of the Bank of Montreal on lower Yonge Street, which is now known as THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME.

Henry Langley was the architectural mentor of George G. Booth, who at an early age dreamed of following his Uncle into the profession. It was Henry Langley who discouraged George’s ambition to become a practicing architect. Langley, nevertheless, accepted George Booth’s design for the decorative ironwork railings and grills for the Toronto offices of the Bank of Montreal, which remain in place to this day.

Henry Langley was asked by James Scripps (at the suggestion of Henry Wood Booth) to design the new building for the Detroit Museum of Art on Jefferson Avenue at Hastings. Henry, who was far to busy with his Toronto and Ontario commissions to accept the assignment, referred the project to James Balfour of Hamilton, Ontario, who was accepted by the museum committee chaired by James Scripps. The museum building was constructed in 1887 and opened in 1888. James Scripps lent most of his art collection (85 pictures) for the opening.

Note : Both Henry Langley and H. Langford Warren were strong advocates of the principles of the British Arts and Crafts Movement and focused their architectural practice on designing and building tall neo-gothic structures for churches, libraries, schools, etc. throughout Ontario and New England