Education
He attended a boarding-school in Hertford and spent two years at sea as a sailor before return to England to become a carpenter and joiner.
architect engineer civil engineer
He attended a boarding-school in Hertford and spent two years at sea as a sailor before return to England to become a carpenter and joiner.
He was also the first professional architect in Toronto, architect of numerous public, commercial and residential buildings in Toronto in the 19th century and the principal donor of High Park to the people of Toronto. John and Jemima remained married until death, however John maintained a lifelong relationship with Mary Williams, with whom he had three children. John and Jemima themselves had no children.
In 1877, Jemima died of cancer.
Howard lived until 1890, dying at home at Colborne Lodge in High Park. The Howards are buried in High Park.
The monument is near to Colborne Lodge. When Howard arrived in Toronto (at that time still the town of York) in 1833, he was the first professional architect in Toronto.
His first public appointment was a teaching master at Upper Canada College (UCC), while developing an architectural practise.
He remained affiliated with UCC until 1856. His practise thrived with commissions ranging from cottages to banks to public projects, including Queen"s College of Kingston, Ontario, and the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in Toronto (modelled on the National Gallery (London)). Howard started surveying work in 1836, become Toronto"s official surveyor in 1843, a position he held until 1855.
He surveyed Toronto harbour, laid out the "Esplanade" on the waterfront, and subdivided the harbour"s peninsula (now known as Toronto Island).
He also did surveying work for cemeteries and private land sub-divisions. He also bought some land of his own, including the property now known as High Park, bought as a sheep farm and Sunnyside Farm to the east of the Park, now the site of Saint Joseph"s Health Centre.
The area retains the nickname of "Sunnyside". In 1873, in return for a yearly pension of $1,200, Howard deeded 120 acres (049 km2) of his High Park property to the city as a public park.
The remaining 45 acres (180,000 m2) and Colborne Lodge became city property at his death.
Howard was appointed forest ranger by the city in 1878, with responsibility for improving the park.