Esther Marjorie Hill

Dates of Birth and Death

Birthplace

Education

• University of Toronto
• Columbia University

Professional organizations

• Licensed in 1925

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Biography

Early life and education

Hill was born in Guelph, Ontario May 29, 1895. Hill graduated from University of Toronto in 1920 as Canada’s First Female to receive a university degree in architecture. After looking for work she also took additional classes at University of Toronto in Urban Planning. Later she moved to New York and studied at Columbia University.

Career in Architecture

Alberta Association of Architects kept her from practising by adding one year of work in an Architect’s office to its entrance requirement. Despite struggles, she found a job as a drafter at MacDonald and Magoon in Edmonton. After she returned to Canada from New York, she reapplied to the Alberta Association of Architects and in 1925 she became the first Canadian woman to be a registered architect. For years she struggled to find work because of the backlash by men and because the Great Depression hit.  In 1938, Hill started her own architecture firm, specializing in houses. in 1953 she also joined the Architectural Institute of British Columbia and served on the city planning committee for five years.