John Brown (builder)

John Brown (c. 1809–1876) was a Canadian builder of Scottish origin.

Brown began his career as a stonemason's apprentice in Glasgow. At 23 he emigrated to the United States, to upstate New York. By 1838 he had moved again, this time to Thorold, Ontario, where he was to spend the remainder of his career.

Brown's first government project was the construction of the Gull Island Lighthouse in Lake Erie between 1846 and 1848. Subsequently, he was retained to build seven additional lightstations in Ontario, including one in Burlington, Ontario.^[1]

Brown is best remembered for building Ontario's Imperial Towers, six nearly identical light stations (tower and keeper's dwelling) made of cut stone, and not brick, metal, wood or concrete that was common in the 1850s. All were on Lake Huron or Georgian Bay.^[2] Initially, eleven were planned but only six were built, between 1855 and 1859.^[3] (The projects cancelled were to be at White Fish Island, Mississagi Strait, Isle St. Joseph, Clapperton Island and Badgley Island.)^[3]

The origin of the designation Imperial is not certain, but some historians speculate that because the towers were public construction built under the colonial administration while Canada was a self-governing colony of Britain, the name would assure at least some funding from the British Empire's Board of Trade.^[3] According to the Heritage Character Statement from the Government of Canada (for the Chantry Island lighthouse (typical of the six), the design is very strong and somewhat ornate.^[2]

All were built at a time when commercial shipping traffic was increasing on the Great Lakes between Canada and the U.S. because of new trade agreements and the opening of the Sault Ste. Marie Canal locks in 1855. The settlement of the Bruce Peninsula was already well underway at the time, also making the lighthouses timely as navigational aids for the boats and ships.^[3][2]