Collection 1390 - Horwood Collection

Cumberland and Storm was a Toronto, Ontario-based architectural firm established in 1852; it dissolved in 1863 from evidence of the drawings, but the firm name continued until 1866-1867.

William George Storm (1826-1892) began to work for Frederic William Cumberland (1821-1881) in 1849 as an apprentice in his private offices in both Toronto and Hamilton. Between 1850 and 1852, while Cumberland was in partnership with Thomas G. Ridout Jr., Storm continued to work in the offices as an architect and engineer in preparing working drawings and details before becoming a full partner in 1852 upon Ridout's departure.

The architectural firm of Cumberland and Storm was the most prominent Toronto architectural firm in the nineteenth century with over 69 projects, including large projects such as the centre portion of Osgoode Hall and University College along with other court houses and jails (for Halton, Lincoln, Victoria and York Counties), a magnetic observatory, vice-regal residences in Ottawa and Toronto, legislative buildings, post offices and banks. After Cumberland's departure to pursue engineering and legislative careers, there was a period of transition where the firm name continued until 1866-1867. During this period of transition Storm undertook a number of projects alone and except for a brief period in 1877 where he partnered with Charles Albert Walton he continued the practice on his own until his death in 1892.