Cultural Landmarks of Hamilton-Wentworth

William Russell Souter

William Russell Souter was born June 11, 1894 in Hamilton to Alexander Souter and Margaret Murray Souter.  In his youth, Souter attended Public School in Hamilton.  Upon graduation from public school, he attended Hamilton Collegiate Institute, a grammar school later known as F. W. MacBeth School for boys. He eventually attended the University of Pennsylvania.  After university, Souter entered the Royal Air Force during the First World War.  He attained the rank of Lieutenant before being honourably discharged in 1919.

In September of 1919, he began his apprenticeship at the architectural firm of Mills and Hutton.  He worked there until 1920 when he became a member of the firm then known as Hutton and Souter.  During his time at the firm, Souter made a considerable contribution to the structural growth of Hamilton-Wentworth.  He was widely recognized for the structures he designed such as The Burlington Bay James N. Allan Twin Skyway Bridge, the Beth Jacob synagogue, several buildings at McMaster University, and the Cathedral of Christ the King.  Pope Pius XII awarded him the Bene Merenti in 1933 for the magnificent design of the cathedral.

Bishop McNally was initially skeptical of Souter's abilities as an architect.  However, Souter had long sought to build a church and saw designing the Cathedral of Christ the King as one of his greatest challenges.  After the completion of the church, Souter had proven to Bishop McNally, the City of Hamilton, and to himself that he had the makings of a fine architect.  Bishop McNally concluded that Souter was never given a true opportunity to prove his exceptional skills.

Souter eventually decided to build a beautiful home for himself.  After the construction of the cathedral, Souter designed and built a $695,000 Tudor-style mansion on Aberdeen Avenue during the depression.  At the time, it was the most expensive home in Hamilton.  In 1985, the mansion was sold to three local men for $337,000.

William Russell Souter died at the age of seventy-seven in November 1971 of natural causes.  He left behind a son, daughter, sister, and four grandchildren.  William Russell Souter left his mark on the region through his works, which are a reflection of his invaluable service to Hamilton-Wentworth.

References:
Cathedral of Christ the King Scrapbook.  Special Collections, HPL.
Clipping File.  Hamilton - Biography - Souter, William Russell.  Special Collections, HPL.
Historic Houses Scrapbook.  Special Collections, HPL.