William Critchlow Harris

William Critchlow Harris (30 April, 1854-1913) was an architect noted mainly for his ecclesiastical and domestic projects in Maritime Canada.

He was born near Liverpool, England to Welsh parents but moved to Prince Edward Island with his family as a young child. He lived there most of his life, however for much of the time he led an itinerant existence travelling throughout Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia pursuing and executing design commissions throughout the region. He was influenced by the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style (for his domestic buildings) and Victorian gothic (for his church designs).

His greatest disappointment was the loss of a commission late in life to design the Anglican Cathedral in Halifax (1905-1910). The commission was awarded to New York architect Bertram Goodhue and Harris was given the unhappy task of overseeing completion of the more famous architect's work.

His was a brother of the noted artist Robert Harris.

Notable works

*Université Sainte-Anne, Church Point, Nova Scotia
*St. James Anglican church, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia
*Broughton, Nova Scotia (plan and buildings), Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
*Provincial Court House and Kings County Playhouse, Georgetown, Prince Edward Island
*Frederick Borden house, Canning, Nova Scotia
*Elmwood House, Charlottetown, PEI
*St. James Anglican Church, Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia (one of the famous Three Churches)

References

* Tuck, Robert C., "Gothic Dreams: The Life and Times of a Canadian Architect William Critchlow Harris 1854-1913". Toronto: Dundurn Press, 1978.

External links

* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=7426 Biography at "the Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]