BURRIS, Samuel Cyrus (1848-1930), a native of Ontario, was active in Victoria and Vancouver, B.C. from 1883 until after 1899. His practice consisted of commissions for large, palatial residences in these two cities as well as for institutional or commercial projects that are characterized by a stark frugality and lack of adornment. He prepared designs for a speculative 'Building for Small Manufactories' in 1883 which he then published '...as a matter of interest to both capitalists and artisans', but it is uncertain if his scheme was actually built (Resources of British Columbia, i, 1 May 1883, 4-5, descrip. & illus.). His first large public commission was the Agricultural Hall, Beacon Hill, Victoria, B.C. (1884), which, by its sheer bulk and height, made it a landmark in the city, although it lacked the refinement of similar exhibition buildings that were being built in other Canadian cities during this decade. His skills as a draftsman and delineator were impressive, and can best be seen in his drawings for a substantial residence for John P. Pelletier in Victoria (BCPA, Map. Coll., Acc. 9944).
In 1887-88 he served as Clerk of Works to H. O. Teidemann and supervised the construction of the Provincial Law Courts Building, Bastion Square, Victoria (Colonist [Victoria], 28 Oct. 1888, 3-4, descrip.). His business as 'architect and real estate agent' was sold to F. Bouchier in mid-1888 (C.A.B., i, July 1888, 6) and by 1890 he had formed a business partnership with John W. Keller, as Keller & Burris, ".......fabricators of Plaster Paris work, sewer pipe and building material" (City of Victoria Directory, 1890, 140; Victoria Daily Times, 9 May 1890, 6). He later became a promoter of the British Columbia Pottery & Terra Cotta Company (Vancouver Daily World, 4 Feb. 1892, 1). Burris relocated to Vancouver in 1897 or 1898 and advertised himself as an architect there (Daily Province [Vancouver], 22 June 1898, 1), but no information on his work in that city has been found. Burris moved to the United States after 1900 and took up residence in North Lakeview, Oregon. In 1920, he was recorded in U.S. Census documents as a resident in that town, and was working there as a carpenter for a cabinet-making company. He later died at Lakeview on 24 July 1930, and was buried at Sunset Park Cemetery in that town (inf. Oregon Death Index 1921-1930, Section "B"; biog. and list of works in D. Luxton, Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 90-1, 495; inf. Stuart Stark, Victoria, B.C.)
S.C. BURRIS (works in Victoria)
PROTESTANT ORPHAN'S HOME, Rae Street, 1883 (Colonist [Victoria], 5 Jan. 1884, 3, descrip.)
CORMORANT STREET, hotel for Tai Soong, 1883 (Colonist [Victoria], 19 Jan. 1884, 1)
MONTREAL STREET, addition of a glass conservatory for 'Armadale', the residence of Hon. William MacDonald, Niagara Street, James Bay, 1883; demol. c. 1940 (Colonist [Victoria], 19 Jan. 1884, 1)
RUPERT STREET at Collinson Street, residence for A. Allan, 1883 (Colonist [Victoria], 19 Jan. 1884, 1)
PANDORA AVENUE, residence for Joseph H. MacLaughlin, 1883 (Colonist [Victoria], 19 Jan 1884, 1; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 1, 2013, 98-99, illus. & descrip.)
BAVARIA BREWERY CO., Fort Street, for Henry Walther, 1883; demol. 1909 (Colonist [Victoria], 19 Jan. 1884, 1; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House - Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods - Vol. 3, 2021, 61, illus., but lacking attribution to the architect)
JOHNSON STREET, near Quadra Street, residence for Charles F. Todd, 1884 (Colonist [Victoria], 9 May 1884, 3; Victoria Daily Times, 9 June 1884, 1; and 15 Nov. 1884, 3; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 54, illus. & descrip.)
KINGSTON STREET, in James Bay, residence for James Burns, 1884 (Colonist [Victoria], 9 May 1884, 3; Victoria Daily Times, 9 June 1884, 1; and 15 Nov. 1884, 3)
FORT STREET, residence for E.B. Marvin, 1884 (Colonist [Victoria], 9 May 1884, 3)
CORMORANT STREET, residence for Joseph Dwyer, 1884 (Colonist [Victoria], 9 May 1884, 3)
SPRING RIDGE, residence for Christian Benson, 1884 (Colonist [Victoria], 9 May 1884, 3)
AGRICULTURAL HALL, Beacon Hill, 1884 (Victoria Daily Times, 21 July 1884, 3, descrip.; Colonist [Victoria], 20 July 1884, 3; and 22 July 1884, 3, descrip.; Stuart Stark, The B.C. Agricultural Association Exhibition Building, 2017, 52-54, illus. & descrip.)
VANCOUVER STREET at Bellot Street, residence for Bedlington H. Johns, 1884 (Victoria Daily Times, 11 July 1884, 2, t.c.; Colonist [Victoria], 20 July 1884, 3, descrip.)
BIRDCAGE WALK [now Government Street], at Michigan Street, two large detached residences, one for Hon. John Robson, and the other for Joseph Hunter, 1885 (Victoria Daily Times, 26 March 1885, 3, descrip.; and 30 June 1885, 4, descrip.)
MICHIGAN AVENUE, residence for Hon. William Smithe, 1886-87; demol. c. 1978 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House - Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods - Vol. 2, James Bay, 2018, 18, illus.)
DE COSMOS BLOCK, Government Street, between Johnson Street and Cormorant Street, a two storey brick commercial block of six stores for The Hon. Amor De Cosmos, 1887; demol. c. 1980 (Victoria Daily Times, 17 May 1887, 4, t.c.; and 3 June 1887, 8; and 18 Sept. 1888, 8, descrip., with list of stores to be occupied by George Powell & Co., Stemler & Earle, Joseph C. Devlin, J. E. Phillips, and Mr. On Wing)
FISGUARD STREET, block of stores for Wing Chong, 1887 (Victoria Daily Times, 31 Dec. 1887, 3)
ALBERT STREET, residence for Mrs. J. Morley, 1887 (Victoria Daily Times, 31 Dec. 1887, 3)
HERALD STREET, residence for John Peter Pellitier, 1887 (Victoria Daily Times, 31 Dec. 1887, 3)
DISCOVERY STREET, additions to residence of Joseph Spratt, 1887 (Victoria Daily Times, 31 Dec. 1887, 3)
ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, Douglas Street at Fisguard Street, improvements to the church, 1887 (Victoria Daily Times, 31 Dec. 1887, 3)
SUPERIOR STREET, residence for Frederick Williams, 1887; demol. 1963 (Colonist [Victoria], 22 May 1887, 1; Victoria Daily Times, 31 Dec. 1887, 3; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House - Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods - Vol. 2, James Bay, 2018, 18, illus.)
DALLAS ROAD, near Menzies Street, residence for Clement E. Renouf, 1887; demol. 1964 (Colonist [Victoria], 22 May 1887, 1; Victoria Daily Times, 31 Dec. 1887, 3; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House - Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods - Vol. 2, James Bay, 2018, 17, illus.)
DALLAS ROAD, "Seaview" a residence for Thomas Kains, 1888; demol. 1977 (Colonist [Victoria], 1 Jan. 1889, Supplement, 2; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House - Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods - Vol. 2, James Bay, 2018, 17, illus.)
VANCOUVER STREET, residence for Louis G. McQuade, 1888 (Victoria Daily Times, 28 June 1888, 4, with correction, 29 June 1888, 4; Colonist [Victoria], 1 Jan. 1889, Supplement, 2)
LABOUCHERE STREET, residence for Charles F. Gardiner, 1888 (Victoria Daily Times, 28 June 1888, 4, with correction, 29 June 1888, 4; and 27 Dec. 1888, 3; Colonist [Victoria], 1 Jan. 1889, Supplement, 2)
VICTORIA CARRIAGE WORKS LTD., Johnson Street, near Blanshard Street, a three storey block for William Grimm, 1889, still standing as of 2019 (Victoria Daily Times, 25 Sept. 1889, 1, descrip.)
JOHN WEILER FURNITURE CO., Broughton Street, a three storey warehouse, 1889; still standing as of 2019 (Victoria Daily Times, 25 Sept. 1889, 1, descrip.)
AMES, HOLDEN CO., Langley Street, a three storey factory for William Heathorn, 1889; demol. c. 1950 (Victoria Daily Times, 25 Sept. 1889, 1, descrip.)
CARY CASTLE, addition of large glass conservatory, 1890; burned 1899 (P. Cotton, Vice-Regal Mansions of British Columbia, 1981, 67-68, illus.)
JUVENILE REFORMATORY, 1890 (B.C., Sessional Papers, 1891, Public Accounts, 62)
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, Belleville Street, addition, 1890 (B.C., Sessional Papers, 1891, Public Accounts, 56)
(attributed) OAK BAY, 'Jolimont', a residence for William H. Bainbridge, Hampshire Road, 1892 (S. Stark, Oak Bay's Heritage Buildings, 1986, 10-11, illus.)
ELSEWHERE
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C., hotel on the site of the former Colonial Hotel, Columbia Street, 1884; burned 1898 (British Columbian [New Westminster], 27 Feb. 1884, 3, descrip.)
WELLINGTON, B.C., a two storey hotel for Robert Dunsmuir, M.P.P, 1887 (Victoria Daily Times, 12 July 1887, 4, descriip.)
KOBE, JAPAN, residence for Eugene C. Hill, modelled on "...Mr. Renouf's house, Dallas Road, Victoria", 1888 (Victoria Daily Times, 3 April 1888, 4, descrip.)
MILLSTREAM, B.C., large residence for Dr. E.C.B. Hannington 'at his farm at Aldemere', near Esquimalt , 1889 (C.A.B., ii, Sept. 1889, 107)
VANCOUVER, B.C., Public School, 1890 (B.C., Sessional Papers, 1891, Public Accounts, 60)