Walter F. Fontaine
Shaping Woonsocket's Skyline
One of Woonsocket’s most prominent and productive architects was Walter F. Fontaine. He was born in Woonsocket in 1871, the son of John B. and Elodie Fontaine who had come to Woonsocket from Quebec before the Civil War. As a young man Walter Fontaine worked for Willard Kent, a prominent civil engineer, and designer of the Opera House, and then traveled to Europe to study architecture. After the completion of his studies, he returned to his native state and worked for a firm in Providence. During his time there, he was responsible for the construction supervision of the Providence Public Library and Union Trust Company Building. Fifteen years later, he returned to Woonsocket and formed his own architectural company with two of his sons.
Among the buildings in Woonsocket that he designed or helped to design are the St. Ann’s Gymnasium, St. Ann’s Church, Holy Family Church, the rectory of St. Joseph’s Church, Mount St. Charles Academy, the Pothier Mausoleum and the former Woonsocket Senior High School at Park Place. Fontaine also designed L’Union St. Jean Baptiste building, St. Francis Orphanage, many manufacturing plants, elegant private homes in the city’s North End and several public elementary schools.
In September of 1938, Walter F. Fontaine and his wife Obeline (Lucier) died in the catastrophic hurricane of that year, by a tidal wave which swept over and destroyed their summer home at Charlestown Beach, RI. Nearly 2,000 people attended the double funeral services which were conducted at Our Lady of Victories Church, another artistic monument created by him. He is buried alongside his wife in Precious Blood Cemetery in Woonsocket.
Today many buildings in Woonsocket and throughout Rhode Island and other New England states, stand as monuments to the memory of this Woonsocket native son.
