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CORNELIUS JOHN SOULE
Architect

cjarch.html
updated 2008/03/12
Cornelius John Soule was educated in architecture at the prestigious South Kensington School of Science and Art in London, England.  Cornelius won a Queen's prize for design as well as prizes for other subjects.  Afterward he articled with a leading London (England) architect.   Travelling to America, about 1871, he worked for some of the best architects of Boston & Cleveland, before settling in Port Hope, Ontario. 

below, listed by type of use and then date, is a summary of the structures that he was associated with.  Some of the items below will not have their names bolded.  This indicates that Soule was not the principal architect but had some connection to the project.

PARTNERSHIPS
with J. G. Kirk, C. E.
C. J. arrives in Stratford and associates himself with Mr. Kirk
1874 Nov 6		  
From newspaper references provided by Stephen Otto
with Robert Scott Day
Robert Scott Day and Family arrive in Victoria
and enters into partnership with CJ

New advertisement

Partnership dissolved.
1891 Jun 19
1891 Sep 04

1892 Mar 6

1894 Jan 28 		   
with Samuel Maclure 1899 - 1900   From Vancouver Directories discovered by Jim Wolf
Residence : Commercial  ( Business Blocks, Hotels) : Schools : Public (Town hall, YMCA, Churches, Courthouse, Exhibition Bldg.)

RESIDENCE

"Terralta Cottage"
TerraltaOld300.jpg (215420 bytes)
Photograph courtesy of Larry Lamb 2005

 1874

Extant

 Port Hope, Ontario

160 Dorset Street west
renovations & additions for lawyer Thomas Moore Benson

  

"Lornewood"
Lornewood72.jpg (32147 bytes)
Photograph - author 1992

 1877 Feb 5 (tc)
1877 Nov 14 (art.)

Extant

 Guelph, Ontario

Crescent & Norfolk Sts.
alterations & additions in brick dwelling
Charles Raymond of Raymond Sewing Machines.
$7,000

 Called Lornewood after the Marquis of Lorne, who along with his wife, Princess Louise, stayed there 1879 Sep 17
(Source: A Picture History of Guelph 1827-1978 - Volume two p202c2m)

Home of A. Smith

 1877 Jun- Guelph, Ontario

Glasgow St.
two story brick

Manse

 1877 Jun- Guelph, Ontario

alterations and additions
St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church

  

"Idylwyld"
Idylwylde72.jpg (43376 bytes)
photograph - author 1992

 1878 Nov 28 (art.)
1879 Feb 7 (tc)
for interior finish

Extant.

 Guelph, Ontario

27 Barber Ave.

 Built for J. D. Williamson in Guelph stone in square rubble
$5-6,000
declared heritage by the City of Guelph

Listed on the Canadian Registry of Historic Places
www.historicplaces.ca

Residence - Queen St. 1879 Aug 9 Guelph, Ontario "Wyoming" I am wondering if this is the home that CJ designed on Queen St.  It was lived in by James Hogg, J.W. Lyon, Lincoln Goldie, W. Ham, and William Ice. It stands on Queen Street, between Lemon and Palmer Streets.    It was remodelled and enlarged by architect, John Hall Jr.,  in 1881.

Mayor Colonel A. H. MacDonald
Palmer2.jpg (76089 bytes)
Photograph - courtesy City of Guelph

 1887 Oct 15

Extant

 Guelph, Ontario

55 Palmer St.
corner of Palmer & Queen St.

two story, red brick, 43'X34'
$2,500

 Mayor of Guelph 1887-1888
There is a picture of Mayor MacDonald at the
Guelph Library and Archives Photo collection: Item # F38-0-4-0-0-13

Edgar D. Clark
Tiffany.jpg (30531 bytes)
Photograph - author 1992

 1887 Oct 

Extant.

 Guelph, Ontario

corner Elora Rd. & Tiffany St.
brick, two story 30'X22' plus kitchen

  

W. H. Wardrope
Liverp1.jpg (61836 bytes)
Image - Coulings Inventory

 1887 Oct 15 Guelph, Ontario

33 Liverpool St.
2 story 23'X50'

  

55 Alfred St. (1607 Camosun St.)
p25 Dalby640.jpg (66190 bytes)
Photograph - "Victoria Illustrated 1891"

dalby2.jpg (35743 bytes)
Photograph - Author 1994 - clad in aluminum siding.

dalby3.jpg (40736 bytes)
Photograph - Author 2005 - under restoration.

 1890 April

Extant and being restored.

 William Dalby
Victoria, British Columbia

was 55 Alfred St.
then 1272 Fisguard St.
now 1607 Camosun St.

 The home of Victoria's 10th Mayor (1873 to 1875) William Dalby.
Victoria.Archives - List of Mayors

Mr. Dalby was also a former President of the Agricultural Association.

He shows up in the Directories at this location from 1892 until 1897.  Before that he was at 88 Pandora St. and after that at 19 North Park St.

In the 1890s the firm of Dalby and Ballentyne and later Dalby and Claxton, Real Estate had offices at 64 Yates St.

Victoria Daily Colonist - 1890 April 23
TENDERS WANTED
SEALED SEPARATE TENDERS WILL be received up to 4 p. m. of Friday 8th inst., for building a house on Camosa street.  Plans and specifications to be seen at the office of the undersighend.  The lowest or any tender not necessarily accepted. 
CORNELIUS J. SOULE Architect

dalby4.jpg (55303 bytes)
Photograph - Author's wife 2005
Paul Phillips, on the left, who is restoring the house
with him is the author, Ron Soule, great-grandson of the architect.

55 Fernwood St.
p25 Claxton640.jpg (86141 bytes)
Photograph - "Victoria Illustrated 1891"

 1890 May

No longer extant.

 Frederick J. Claxton
Victoria, British Columbia

 

 Real Estate Agent and parnter of William Dalby

Note the inverted "cloud lift" in the upper railing.  This is a feature seen in Greene and Greene architecture.  They were later architects born a decade and a half later than Cornelius.  I'm not implying anything.  It is just an interesting comparison.

Cadboro Bay Rd.
Clearihue300.jpg (498373 bytes)
Photograph - courtesy of Joyce Clearihue

 1890 Jun-

Demolished.

 "Calbenie"   "Dalvenie"
Victoria, British Columbia

156 Cadboro Bay Rd
(later 1500 Fort St.) Joseph Clearihue Sr.
demolished.

  
2 houses 1890 June unknown houses
Victoria, British Columbia
no clues as to who these two houses were for.		  
3 cottages on Simcoe St. 1890 June unknown houses
Victoria, British Columbia
this may be three cottages on Simcoe just west of Montreal St.		  
Residence on Oak Bay Ave. 1890 August unknown house
Victoria, British Columbia		 It may be possible to narrow down the possibilities by comparing the improvements on Oak Bay Ave between 1890 and 1891.

Judge Harrison Residence
Harrison.jpg (61808 bytes)
Photograph - Author 2002

 1890 July (tender)
1891 April (contract)

Extant

 546 Prideaux Street, Nanaimo, British Columbia This house was so poorly constructed that they only lived in it for three weeks.

521 Superior 030427 011ss.jpg (47891 bytes)
Photograph - author 2004

 1891 Jan (tc)
1891 April (occupancy)

Extant

 521 Superior St.
formerly 69 (522 Superior St.) on the north side of Superior on the Legislative building grounds. It was moved to its current location in 1910.		  

Alan S. Dumbleton
1731 rockland.jpg (56651 bytes)
Photograph - author 2002

 1891 Feb

Extant

 1731 Rockland Ave. (was Belcher Ave.)
Victoria, British Columbia

 

  
Major Dupont, "Stadacona"

Image at BC archives G-03296

 1891 April-

Demolished

 Victoria, British Columbia

addition & alteration

where Stadacona Park is now

  
John A. Andrews, Garbally Rd. 1891 April (tc)
1891 April (contract)		 Victoria, British Columbia
just below Gorge.		 There is a computer store there now.
House on Gorge Rd.   (likely the home of Bagster Roads Seabrook) (1906 Victoria Daily Colonist)

SeabrookGorge.jpg (53283 bytes)

 1891 April (tc) (33) 242 Gorge Rd.
NE cor Gorge Rd. & Washington St.		 In the book "The Judge's Wife: Memoirs of a British Columbia Pioneer" Eunice Harrison (nee Seabrook) says that her brother Bagster bought two acres on the Gorge and "engaged Mr. Soule, an early architect, to build them a large house there.. That was after his marriage in 1888. [Note: see above -Soule had designed Eunice and Eli Harrison's own home, in Nanaimo, in 1990  
In April of 1891 Mrs. B. R. Seabrook was advertising for a servant asking the to apply to 33 Gorge Rd.
The house was sold to Wesley N. Mitchell, realtor in 1906 when Bagster and his family moved to California, just after the devastating San Francisco earthquake.  Mr. Mitchell shows up in the 1908 directory at 242 Gorge Rd.
2 houses on Meares St. 1891 April (tc) unknown houses
 address and for whom constructed unknown
Joseph Buttery Rich 1895 1802 Oak Bay Ave., Victoria, B. C. A sewer connection permit indicated who the home was for and who the architect was.  The 1895 Newspaper confirmed that Mrs. J. B. Rich had built a single story home on Oak Bay Ave, costing $800.

"Parkside"
Parkside.jpg (34686 bytes)
Photograph - Courtesy Janet Bingham

 1899 Mar 2

Demolished

 Vancouver, British Columbia

Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper
demolished

 Probably a collaboration with Samuel Maclure while they were partners.

COMMERCIAL

Herald Building
Herald2.jpg (53430 bytes)
Photograph =  "A Picture History of Guelph 1827-78"

 1877 Nov 14 (art)

Demolished

 Guelph, Ontario Quebec St. near Wyndham
45 ft. frontage, 4 stories with a basement
$6,000

Stone fronts on stores

1877 Nov 28 (tc) Guelph, Ontario Wyndham St., new stone fronts
Messrs. Horsman, McIntyre, & Anderson

Stores to Office to Bank of Montreal
ans St. Georges Hall

 1878 June 8 (tc)
1878 Nov 28 (desc.)		 Guelph, Ontario Upper Wyndham St.
$3,000

Ontario Bank
Alterations

 1878 Aug 31 (tc)
1878 Sep 6 (desc.)
1878 Dec 11 (desc.)		 Guelph, Ontario Carden St.
alterations

Wellington Mutual

 1887 Oct 15 Guelph, Ontario improvements to office: $500

2 story building on Simcoe St.
Simcoe St.
Photograph - Authors Collection May 2005

 1890 Jun Victoria, British Columbia I have no documentation saying this is a Soule structure but the book "This Old House: James Bay" says that it is.   I am waiting for the documentation from the Victoria Heritage Council staff.

According to a newspaper article Soule did design a two story building on Simcoe St..  The timing is right and the layout of the front facade is evocative of a Soule design.
5 frame stores on Douglas St. 1890 Aug Victoria, British Columbia  
brick building Langley & Chancery Lane 1891 May Victoria, British Columbia So far it looks like it may not have been built.

Rock Bay Hotel

Image at the BC Archives F_00029

 1891 June 9 (art.)
1891 June 16 (tc)

Demolished

 Victoria, British Columbia

corner of Bay St. and Bridge St.

 CJS working on plans, 40 rooms, RockBay Ave. & Bridge St.

Lange Block
Lange.jpg (134666 bytes)
Photograph - Authors Collection Feb 2009

 1891 July 17 (tc)

1891 Aug 04 (tc)
1891 Aug 21 (tc)		 Victoria, British Columbia

1308 - 1312 Douglas St.
originally 64-68 Douglas St.

 Purchase and removal of two houses on Douglas St. opposite the Clarence on Douglas St.
Excavating a cellar on Douglas St.
brick block on Douglas St.

Originally I thought that this building might be on the SE corner of Douglas and Yates St. possibly the Merchants Bank being across Yates St. from the Clarence Hotel.  It turned out to be across Douglas St. from the Clarence Hotel.now determined to be the Lange Block.

It was built for the Lange family, watchmaker Gustav Wilhelm A. Lange, a jewelery store operator and watchmaker, his wife Emilie Maria and their daughter Pauline Emilie.  It cost $14,000 when built on this 40' by 60' lot.

Point Comfort Hotel
point comfort.jpg (21144 bytes)
Photograph - CJ Soule c. 1895

 1893 Jan 1 (art.)
1893 Mar 1 (tc)
1893 Mar 19 (award)

Demolished 1958

 Mayne Island, British Columbia

Soule and Day architects

 Additional photographs of the Point Comfort Hotel
at the BC Archives website.
C_08859, G_06195, E_07867, NA_40409

Strathcona Hotel
StrathconaHotel.jpg (21989 bytes)
Postcard in the author's collection

 1900

Demolished 1969

 Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia This was during the period when Cornelius Soule had been partners with Samuel Maclure. 

The architect on record is Samuel Maclure.  However in a postcard to her mother Soule's second wife indicated that Soule had designed it.
Bank of Commerce 1903 Nov Edmonton, Alberta

superintending architect?
Darling & Pearson, Toronto, Ontario

  

SCHOOLS

High School

 1872 Campbellford, Ontario

destroyed by fire.

  

Western Primary School
School1.gif (45709 bytes)
Photograph - "Hope and its Port"

 1873

Demolished.

 Port Hope, Ontario

Bruton and Bramley Sts.

  

High School

 1878
1879
demolished 1954		 Walkerton, Ontario

Colborne St. S.

  

Corrig College
Corrig College
Photograph - "Victoria Illustrated - 1891"

 1891
demolished c. 1965		 Douglas St., Victoria
 This one, so far, has no confirmation.  I am assuming that it is designed by Cornelius based on features and timing and the fact that CJ Soule was on the list of guests attending the opening ceremonies and that he is the only one on the list that I can identify as an architect. .

The two side gables appear to have wavy shingle patterns on them, which is a Soule signature element..

North Ward School
NWScolor.gif (166194 bytes)
Postcard - Courtesy of Ron Green

 1893 July 18 (art.)
1893 Aug 26 (tc)
1893 Sep 8 (award)
1893 Oct  27 (tc)		 Victoria, British Columbia

Soule & Day, architects
2 1/2 story brick structure
$30,000
Investigation into defects. 1896 July 16 - Oct 27.
demolished 1968 November 26

  

PUBLIC

Cavan Township Hall
MillbrookHall_02.gif (39692 bytes)
Photograph - Courtesy of Larry Lamb 2005

 1873
1874

Extant

 Millbrook, Ontario

King St.

original reference from Robert Hill 1994 March 3

 

 In the Township ledgers at the Cavan, Millbrook Historical Society On Monday the 27th of October 1873, the following entry.

"Mr. Soule, Architect, Port Hope presented the plans and Specifications prepared by him for the new Town Hall in Millbrook which were examined and approved by the council.  Moved by Mr. Richard Staples Deputy Reeve and seconded by Mr. William Fallis, councilor that an order be issued on the Treasurer for $75.00 in favor of Mr Soule for Plans and Specifications of new Town Hall.     Motion carried."

courtesy of Larry Lamb (member of the Cavan, Millbrook Historical Society 2005 April 4).

YMCA
YMCA.jpg (37382 bytes)
photograph - author 1992

 1874

Extant

 Port Hope, Ontario

58 John St.

 Listed on the Canadian Registry of Historic Places
www.historicplaces.ca

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
Enlargements

 1878 May 4 (desc.)
1878 Nov 25 (desc.)

Extant

 Guelph, Ontario

Norfolk & Suffolk Sts.
enlargement.

  

St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church
OrangevilleChurch.jpg (40685 bytes)

 1878
1879
Orangeville, Ontario		  

Dufferin County Courthouse and Jail
OrangcilleCrtHs.jpg (32486 bytes)

 1879 Nov 22 (desc)
1879 Dec 4 (desc)
1879 Dec 26 (tc)
1881 May 10 (desc of completed building))

Extant
Restored by Carlos Ventin

 Orangeville, Ontario

Book Reference:
Into the high county, the story of Dufferin - the last 12,000 years to 1974 by Adelaide Leitch p165

 Listed on the Canadian Registry of Historic Places
www.historicplaces.ca

Methodist Church

 1882 Portage La Prairie, Manitoba

Robert Hill - (Manitoba Daily Free Press [Winnipeg], 4 April 1882, 1, t.c.)

  

Guelph General Hospital

 1887 Jul 20 (desc)
1887 Oct 15 (desc)

Demolished

 Guelph, Ontario

Victoria Wing, addition, 2 stories and a mansard
$8,000

  

Loretto Academy

 1888 Sept 15 (tc) Guelph, Ontario

addition

  
Agricultural Exhibit Hall
fromVI1891s.jpg (22958 bytes)
from: Victoria Illustrated 1891		 1891 Jun 14 (tc)

Destroyed by fire
1907 Dec 26

 Victoria, British Columbia

Cadboro Bay Rd., Oak Bay, Victoria, British Columbia

 C J Soule designed the Main exhibition building and the outbuildings for the Victoria Agricultural Society.  This fabulous structure had a footprint of 180' by 110' and was known locally as the "Crystal Palace."  The interior  had a centrally located fountain and the upper galleries were reached by broad stairs at each corner.  The view over the straits to the Olympic Mountains, from the open balcony surrounding the cupola, 75' above the fairgrounds, must have been fabulous. 

The contractor, William Lorimer, built the stucture in 65 days, finishing in time for the 1891 exhibition.

When the building burned it only took 45 minutes for the roof to cave in and the flames were so visible that in Seattle it was thought that a ship was on fire on the Canadian shore.

 
Poultry House, Stables, fencing, Cattle Sheds for BC Agricultural Assoc. 1891 Aug 5 (tc) Victoria, British Columbia  

St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Victoria West
StPaulsOld.jpg (21870 bytes)
Photo: This Old House / Hallmark Society

 1891 April (tc)
1891 May (contract)
1891 May (start)

Demolished c. 196?

 Victoria, British Columbia

seats 250
$4,000


20040802a__gray.jpg (115627 bytes)
Current structure on the site of the former church

Photo: Ron Soule 2004 Aug 02
competition: BC Legislative Building
F. M. Rattenbury was the successful architect.		 1892 Victoria, British Columbia
Belleville St.		  
competition: B.C. Protestant Orphanage
Thomas Hooper was the successful architect		 1892 Victoria, British Columbia
Hillside Ave.		  
Sub-architect?: Metropolitan Methodist Church
The architect was Thomas Hooper but older relatives have said that Soule designed the rose window.		   Victoria, British Columbia
Pandora & Quadra Sts.
  
competition: Government House
2nd in competition winning $250
Maclure & Rattenbury were the successful architects.		 1901 Jan Victoria, British Columbia
Hillside Ave.