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Architects

Basic Biographic Details

William Fraser
Architect
Exact Date
Exact Date
14/06/1922
William Fraser (sometimes misspelt Frazer) was born in Lochgilphead, Argyllshire, Scotland, on 24 October 1867, the second son of the children (6 boys and 2 girls) of Rev. William Fraser, minister of the Free Church of Scotland in Lochgilphead, and Violet Ferguson Fraser.

Having received his early education at the Glasgow Free School, William Fraser attended the University of Glasgow and articled to John McLeod in Glasgow from 1883 to 1888. In 1889, he moved to London as assistant to William Warlow Gwyther and attended the University of London. In 1891, he passed the qualifying exam and was elected Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) on 8 June of that year. His proposers were Messrs. Gwyther, William Thomas Hollands and Frederic Richard Farrow.

William Fraser then joined a firm of Glasgow architects and in 1896 commenced independent practice in the same city on winning the competition for the National Burns Memorial at Mauchline that was built to mark the centenary of Robert Burns’ death. The Memorial’s foundation stone was laid in 1896 and the Memorial was completed in 1897. An article in The Scotsman published in 2004 said the Memorial is “regarded worldwide as a shrine central to the poet’s life and times”.

William Fraser married Maud Marion Timpson in 1898 in Dunoon, where they initially settled. They had three children. Among other work, he designed the Dunoon Pavilion (1905), which was a local landmark that served as the town’s multi-function hall. According to a 1928 publication, “the Pavilion has been a great service in providing accommodation for Public Meetings and Musical Entertainments so much desired by the Visiting Public. Vocalists and musicians of world fame have been attracted to its platform, among them (Jan) Kubelik, the renowned (Czeck) violinist.” Located on Pier Road at the head of Dunoon Pier in downtown Dunoon, the Pavilion was damaged by fire and demolished in the late 1950s.

In 1907, William Fraser and his family emigrated to Toronto, Canada, where he had been invited to become an associate at the architecture firm George M. Miller. He designed office buildings (assisting George Miller with the design of the enormous Beaux-Arts work for the Toronto General Trusts Building, Bay Street at King Street West, Toronto (1909-11; demol. 1966), schools (the School of Household Sciences at the University of Toronto) and homes (the Deaconess Home).

William Fraser was one of several architects selected by the Canadian government to supervise the rebuilding of the city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, after it was devastated on December 6, 1917, when the French munitions ship 'Mont-Blanc' exploded in Halifax harbour. He spent two years in Halifax but returned in 1921 having fallen ill with cancer.

William Fraser died on June, 14, 1922, at the age of 54. In its obituary headlined “William Fraser Called By Death – Was Prominent Architect in Canada and Scotland”, the Toronto Globe newspaper reported that “in Scotland he is remembered as the designer of the Burns Memorial at Mauchline” and that in Toronto the “School of Household Sciences and the Deaconess Home stand as memorials to the skill and workmanship” of “the well-known Toronto architect”. William Fraser was survived by his wife who died aged 93 in 1965.


Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this person:

Business Addresses

Business Addresses2 classic

AddressClassDate From Date From TypeDate ToDate To TypeNotes
Burgh Buildings Dunoon ScotlandBusinessas Building News 6 Jan 1899
248 West George Street Glasgow ScotlandBusiness
Toronto CanadaBusiness

Employment and Training

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this person (click on an item to view details):

Employers2 classic

NameName LinkDate FromDate ToPositionNotes
John McLeod100008In year 1883In year 1888Apprentice
William Warlow Gwyther202292In year 1889In year 1891Assistant

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this person for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):

RIBA PROPOSERS2 classic

ProposerProposer LinkDate ProposedNotes
William Thomas Hollands2019911891/06/08for Associateship
Frederic Richard Farrow2020621891/06/08for Associateship
William Warlow Gwyther2022921891/06/08for Associateship

Buildings and Designs

This person was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):

Buildings and Designs2 classic

Building NameDate StartedTown, District or VillageIslandCity or CountyCountryNotes
National Burns Memorial, Cottage Homes, Museum and TowerIn year 1896MauchlineAyrshireScotlandWon competition to secure commission for memorial tower
Dunoon Sheriff Court and County BuildingsIn year 1898DunoonArgyllScotlandAsked to make plans, but didn't get job; McKissack and Son won competition
Dunoon Grammar SchoolIn year 1899DunoonArgyllScotland
Court House and Police StationIn year 1899DunoonArgyllScotland
CarisbrookeIn year 1901HelensburghDunbartonshireScotlandAdditions and conservatory
Darvel Board SchoolIn year 1901DarvelAyrshireScotland2nd premium in competition
Pavilion at DunoonIn year 1905DunoonArgyllScotland

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this person:

Bib ref classic

AuthorTitleDatePublisherPartNotes
http://dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/http://dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/
British Architectural Library, RIBADirectory of British Architects 1834-19142001
Post Office Directories

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this person:

Arc ref classic

Archive NameSourceSource Cat NoBuilding IdItem NameNotes
RIBA Nomination PapersRIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert Museum100005A v11 p98 (microfiche; 49/C7; no job list)
Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive materialProfessor David M Walker personal archive100041Additional research by Iain Paterson
Information to website courtesy of Ian Fraser, grandson of William FraserIan Fraser, Calgary, Canada200847Biography written by Ian Fraser.