William Critchlow Harris
Encyclopedia
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
noted mainly for his ecclesiastical and domestic projects in Maritime Canada.
He was born near Liverpool, England to Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
parents but moved to Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
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
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
pursuing and executing design commissions throughout the region. He was influenced by the Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
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
All Saints' Cathedral (Halifax)
All Saints Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Church of Canada in Halifax, Nova Scotia.It is the cathedral for the Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island...
in Halifax (1905-1910). The commission was awarded to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
architect Bertram Goodhue
Bertram Goodhue
Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue was a American architect celebrated for his work in neo-gothic design. He also designed notable typefaces, including Cheltenham and Merrymount for the Merrymount Press.-Early career:...
and Harris was given the unhappy task of overseeing completion of the more famous architect's work.
His brother was the noted artist Robert Harris
Robert Harris (painter)
Robert Harris was a Welsh-born Canadian painter most noted for his portrait of the Fathers of Confederation....
.
Notable works
- Université Sainte-AnneUniversité Sainte-AnneUniversité Sainte-Anne is a francophone university located in the seaside town of Pointe-de-l'Église in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the only French-language university in the province of Nova Scotia and is one of only two such universities in the Maritime Provinces, the other being the Université...
, Church Point, Nova ScotiaChurch Point, Nova ScotiaPointe-de-l'Église , is a village located on Saint Mary's Bay in the District of Clare, Digby County, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is home to Université Sainte-Anne and is known primarily for the tallest wooden church in North America, Église Sainte-Marie, which is located just north of the... - Broughton, Nova ScotiaBroughton, Nova ScotiaBroughton is a community in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality about 12 miles from the former city of Sydney, Nova Scotia. Expected to be a boomtown when first settled, it was mostly abandoned when mining operations failed....
(plan and buildings), Glace Bay, Nova ScotiaGlace Bay, Nova ScotiaGlace Bay is a community in the eastern part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality in Nova Scotia, Canada. It forms part of the general area referred to as Industrial Cape Breton.... - Provincial Court House and Kings County Playhouse, Georgetown, Prince Edward IslandGeorgetown, Prince Edward IslandGeorgetown is a Canadian town and the county seat of Kings County, Prince Edward Island. As of 2011, the population was 693.-Geography:Georgetown, Capital of Kings County, sits on an 8 kilometre long peninsula formed by the Cardigan and Brudenell Rivers, Along with Georgetown Harbour...
- Frederick Borden house, Canning, Nova ScotiaCanning, Nova ScotiaCanning, Nova Scotia is a village in northeastern Kings County located at the crossroads of Route 221 and Route 358.-History:The area was originally settled by Acadians who were expelled in 1755 during the Acadian Expulsion...
- Elmwood House, Charlottetown, PEI
- St. James Anglican Church, Mahone Bay, Nova ScotiaMahone Bay, Nova ScotiaMahone Bay is a town located on the northwest shore of Mahone Bay along the South Shore of Nova Scotia in Lunenburg County.- History :...
(one of the famous Three Churches)