William Henderson (February 26, 1837 – September 24, 1931) was a Scottish-born architect who mainly worked in Canada. He was the Resident Architect for the Department of Public Works in British Columbia.
William Henderson | |
|---|---|
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| Born | February 26, 1837 Aberdeenshire Scotland |
| Died | September 24, 1931 (aged 94) British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | Architect |
| Notable work | Government House (Saskatchewan) |
| Family | Henderson family |
Life and career edit
Henderson was born in Lonmay, Aberdeenshire, to a family of architects. He became a stone cutter at the age of 13, and in 1857, he emigrated to Canada. In 1861 he moved back to Scotland, where he married his first wife, Mary Jane Smith.[1] They had three children together, including Stuart Alexander Henderson and Gordon Smith Henderson.
In 1872 he moved back to Ottawa as an overseer for the Federal department of public works in Canada.[2] Henderson remained in government until 1887, when he started his own general construction business.[1] During this time, he completed independent commissions for new buildings in Regina and Qu'Appelle. In 1896 he was appointed Resident Architect for the Territories and, in June 1897, became Resident Architect for the Dept. of Public Works for British Columbia. This position meant he was responsible as site supervisor for all federal buildings being built in the province.[2] He held that position until he retired in 1925.
In public life, he was an alderman at Oak Bay from 1906–08 and later a reeve.[2] He was the Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge British Columbia in 1913.[1] He died in 1931.
Legacy edit
A biographer described Henderson as " highly respected and admired, and his record in public life, as well as his efforts in behalf of all movements tending towards the moral uplift of the community, places him in the foremost rank of Victoria's estimable citizens."[3] Henderson Hall and Henderson road in Oak Bay were both named for him.[4][5][6]
Structures edit
Independent edit
| Location | Building | Date |
|---|---|---|
 Qu'Appelle Station
|
St Peters Anglican Church[7] | 1885 |
| Regina
|
Government House[8] | 1889 |
| Moose Jaw
|
Public School | 1890 |
| Qu'Appelle
|
Two storey commercial block for Alexander McKenzie | 1893 |
 New Westminster
|
Parish Hall for Holy Trinity Anglican Cathedral | 1902 |
 Lethbridge
|
Hotel Lethbridge | 1903 |
| Oak Bay
|
Residence for the Architect | 1910 |
| Oak Bay
|
St. Columba Presbyterian Church | 1914 |
Government edit
| Location | Building | Date |
|---|---|---|
| William Head
|
Quarantine Station | 1905 |
| Osoyoos
|
Customs house | 1906-07 |
| Victoria
|
Detention Building | 1907-08 |
| Revelstoke
|
Post Office and Government Offices | 1911 |
| Duncan
|
Post Office and Indian Affairs Building | 1912-13 |
| Union Bay
|
Dominion Public Building | 1913 |
| Port Alberni
|
Dominion Public Building | 1914-1915[2] |
Descendants edit
- Stuart Alexander Henderson (19 September 1863 – 17 February 1945) m. Alice London (1890–), Mary Jane Losh (1904–)
- Dr. Gordon Smith Henderson KC (10 July 1866 – 16 July 1938) m. Charlotte Stratton
- Gordon F. Henderson CC QC (17 April 1912 – 17 August 1993) m. Joan Parkins (1942–1993)
- Joanne Nelson (1946) m. Robert Nelson of the Nelson family
- Meredith Nelson
- Gregor Nelson
- Gordon Nelson
- Gordon Henderson
- Stuart Henderson
- Kate Henderson
- Elizabeth Henderson
- Robert Henderson
- Ceilidh Henderson
- Meghan Henderson
- Quinn Henderson
- Joanne Nelson (1946) m. Robert Nelson of the Nelson family
- Gordon F. Henderson CC QC (17 April 1912 – 17 August 1993) m. Joan Parkins (1942–1993)
- Mary Jane Henderson (23 December 1870 – 13 August 1919) m. William Cruckshank, Claude Rogers
References edit
- ^ a b c "Dictionary of Scottish Architects - DSA Architect Biography Report (January 15, 2023, 6:14 pm)". www.scottisharchitects.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
- ^ a b c d "Henderson, William | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada". dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
- ^ British Columbia Biographical, Volume III, 1914, page 932
- ^ "HISTORY of OAK BAY virtual website". www.webturf.com. Retrieved 2023-01-15.
- ^ Building The West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 237, 504
- ^ Parliament, Canada (1916). Sessional Papers of the Dominion of Canada.
- ^ "HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca". www.historicplaces.ca. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ "The Architecture « Government House Saskatchewan - A branch of the Provincial Capital Commission". governmenthousesk.ca. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ "JOAN HENDERSON Obituary (2013) – Ottawa Citizen". www.legacy.com. Retrieved 2023-02-19.