Hill, Henry G.

Henry George Hill was born in Halifax in 1805. He became a carpenter and married Esther Ives on December 26, 1832. He subsequently resigned on November 10, 1834, but was re-admitted almost a year later, on September 25, 1835, in Division 4 (St. George's Church). During that period, he transitioned from carpentry projects to architectural designs, and many of his creations still stand today. Among some of his achievements were the drafting of the plans for the Grand Parade engine house (completed in 1837), for which the House of Assembly paid him £5.00. Other accomplishments include various houses in 1840-46; interior alterations and a new gallery at Province House in 1849; the Temperance Hall in 1849 (which burned in 1899) on Starr street (where Scotia Square is now standing); the Wesleyan Chapel in 1851 on Grafton Street; a new facade for the Bank of Nova Scotia building in 1857, on Hollis Street, and many more. His last project was the construction of a quarantine station, two hospitals, and a convalescent shed on Lawlor Island in 1871-72. He resigned from the Union Engine Company in 1840; the minutes of May 19, 1840, reported that he did so via a letter, stating that he had “left the province”. However, if he did, it was for a very short period, as he completed at least one project that same year. He left Halifax in 1880, following financial difficulties and died on January 7, 1882, in Somerville, Massachusetts.