WILLS, Frank (1822-1857), a highly influential figure in the growth and development of the Gothic Revival movement in Canada and the United States. Wills was born in Exeter, Co. Devonshire and trained in the office of John Hayward (1808-1891). It was there, while working in Exeter, that Wills met Rev. John Medley, a visionary and ambitious minister of the Anglican church who later moved to Canada in 1845. After arriving in New Brunswick, Medley invited Wills to follow him, and commissioned him to prepare the plans for a much larger Cathedral in Fredericton. Wills proved himself to be at talented and precocious master of the Gothic Revival style, and modeled his plans for the Cathedral in New Brunswick on the design of St. Mary’s Church in Snettisham, Co. Norfolk, England, erected in the 14th C. While residing in Fredericton, Wills also drew plans for St. Anne’s Parish Church, a much smaller chapel which Medley could use while awaiting the completion of the Cathedral. Wills then moved to New York City in 1847 to open an office at 156 Broadway (D.S. Francis, Architects in Practice New York City 1840-1900, 1979, 83).
In 1851 Wills formed a partnership with Henry C. Dudley (1813-1894) , an experienced architect nearly ten years older than Wills, but who had also worked in the Exeter office of John Hayward. Their collaboration was brief (1851-53), but the commissions which they completed helped broaden the reputation of Wills, and likely influenced his selection as architect for churches in far-flung locations such as Mississippi, Louisiana, Ohio, New York State, and North Carolina. Wills was also an influential writer, publishing his own book entitled Ancient English Ecclesiastical Architecture (1850), in which he set out his ideas of how the very best of the English medieval architectural styles could be transplanted to the American context, setting the stage for the construction of important works in the Gothic Revival style in America, not only by Wills, but by many other architects.
He also became editor of The New York Ecclesiologist, a monthly journal that Wills used as a platform to promote his ideas and opinions on the correct and acceptable style of church architecture to be used in America. His last project (and perhaps one of his best) can be found in Montreal, Quebec, where he was appointed as architect for Christ Church Cathedral (1857-59), but he never lived to see the completed project. Wills died in Montreal on 23 April 1857 while working on the design for Christ Church, leaving the project in the hands of Thomas S. Scott, who completed the work in 1859 (obituary for Frank Wills in the Evening Pilot [Montreal], 24 April 1857, 2; Gazette [Montreal], 25 April 1857, 2; biog. and list of works in MacMillan Encyclopedia of Architects, 1982, iv, 404-05, illus.; biog. Royal Inst. of British Architects, Directory of British Architects 1834-1900, 1993, 1002). A lengthy biography on the career and work of Wills, prepared by Prof. Douglas Richardson of Toronto, was published in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, viii, 1985, 941-45
FRANK WILLS
FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, Christ Church Cathedral (Anglican), Church Street at Brunswick Street, 1846-53 (The Courier [Fredericton], 28 June 1845; The Head Quarters [Fredericton], 28 Feb. 1846, 3, tender call for construction; Illustrated London News, xiv, 28 April 1849, 276, illus. & descrip.; The Church [Toronto], 17 Nov. 1853, 62, descrip.; Daily Sun [Saint John], 14 Sept. 1892, 2, descrip.; H. Kalman, History of Canadian Architecture, 1994, 282-6, illus. & descrip.; Peter Richardson and Douglas S. Richardson, Canadian Churches: An Architectural History, 2007, 70-4, illus. & descrip; J. Leroux, Building New Brunswick - An Architectural History, 2008, 82-3, illus.; Prof. Malcolm Thurlby, "Bishop John Medley, Frank Wills and the Designs of Christ Church Cathedral and St. Anne's Chapel of Ease, Fredericton" in the Journal of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, xl, No. 1, Spring 2015, 31-57, illus. & descrip.; perspective dwg. at NAC, National Map Coll. Acc. 83403/35)
FREDERICTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, St. Anne’s Parish Church (Anglican), 1846-47 (The Head Quarters [Fredericton], 31 March 1847, 2, extensive descrip.; The Church [Toronto], 30 April 1847, 166-7, descrip.; F. Wills, Ancient English Ecclesiastical Architecture, 1850, 109-11, descrip. and illus. plate XV; H. Kalman, History of Canadian Architecture, 1994, 280-2, illus. & descrip.; Peter Richardson and Douglas S. Richardson, Canadian Churches: An Architectural History, 2007, 74-7, illus. & descrip; J. Leroux, Building New Brunswick - An Architectural History, 2008, 80-1, illus.; Prof. Malcolm Thurlby, "Bishop John Medley, Frank Wills and the Designs of Christ Church Cathedral and St. Anne's Chapel of Ease, Fredericton" in the Journal of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, xl, No. 1, Spring 2015, 31-57, illus. & descrip.)
EDENTON, NORTH CAROLINA, interior furnishings and fittings for St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1848
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF., Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 1849-50, but not built (Ecclesiologist [London], x, Nov. 1849, 234, descrip.; Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 288, illus.)
ALBANY, N.Y., Holy Innocents Chapel, North Pearl Street, 1849-50 (Ecclesiologist [London], xi, Oct. 1850, 201-02, descrip.; F. Wills, Ancient English Ecclesiastical Architecture, 1850, 108, descrip. and illus. plate XIX)
ALBANY, N.Y., Grace Church, 1850; demol. 1951 (Ecclesiologist [London], xi, Oct. 1850, 201-02, descrip.; F. Wills, Ancient English Ecclesiastical Architecture, 1850, 108, descrip. and illus. plate XVII; Douglas S. Richardson, “Hyperborean Gothic; or, wilderness Ecclesiology and the wood churches of Edward Medley“ in Architectura [Munich], ii, 1972, 54, 56, illus.)
NEWARK, N.J., House of Prayer, 1850 (Ecclesiologist [London], xi, Oct. 1850, 201-02, descrip.; F. Wills, Ancient English Ecclesiastical Architecture, 1850, 108, descrip. and illus. plate XVIII)
MILFORD, CONN., St. George’s Parish Church, 1849 (Ecclesiologist [London], xi, Oct. 1850, 201-02, descrip.; F. Wills, Ancient English Ecclesiastical Architecture, 1850, 108, descrip. and illus. plate XVI; Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 186, illus.)
PHILADELPHIA, PENN., rebuilding of St. Peter’s Church, 1850, but not built (Ecclesiologist [London], xi, Oct. 1850, 201-02, descrip.; F. Wills, Ancient English Ecclesiastical Architecture, 1850, 108, descrip. and illus. plate; Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 297, illus.)
EMMORTON, MARYLAND, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 1850-51 (Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 289; William Morgan, American Country Churches, 2004, 114-19, illus. & descrip.)
NEW YORK CITY, N.Y., Church of the Transfiguration (Anglican), East 29th Street, design for a stone font, c. 1850 (elevation dwg. at NAC, Ottawa, National Map Coll. Acc. 83403/35)
ADAMS, JEFFERSON CO., N.Y., Emmanuel Church, 1851 (New York Ecclesiologist, iii, Sept. 1851, 167)
MOUNT HOPE, ONTARIO, (near Hamilton), St. Paul’s Anglican Church, Glanford, Upper James Street near English Church Road East, 1851, with later additions; extant 2013 (Malcolm Thurlby, “Two Churches by Frank Wills: St. Peter‘s, Barton and St. Paul‘s, Glanford“ in the Journal of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, xxxii, 2007 No. 1, 49-60, illus. & descrip.)
BARTON TOWNSHIP, ONTARIO, (near Hamilton), St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Mohawk Road West near Garth Street, 1851-52; demol. 1922 (The Church [Toronto], 22 Dec. 1853, 82, descrip.; Malcolm Thurlby, “Two Churches by Frank Wills: St. Peter‘s, Barton and St. Paul‘s, Glanford“ in the Journal of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, xxxii, 2007 No. 1, 49-60, illus. & descrip.)
WILLS & DUDLEY
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA, Trinity Episcopal Church, 1851-52
MANNSDALE, MISSISSIPPI, Chapel of the Cross, 1851-52 (Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 293, illus.; Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: Mississippi and Alabama, 1989, 150-51, illus. & descrip.)
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA, St. John’s Church, Madison Avenue, 1853-55 (Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: Mississippi and Alabama, 1989, 150-51, illus. & descrip.)
MOBILE, ALABAMA, Trinity Anglican Church, Jackson Street at Anthony Street, 1853-56 (Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: Mississippi and Alabama, 1989, 152-54, illus. & descrip.; perspective dwg. at NAC, National Map Coll. Acc. 83403/35)
CLAREMONT, NEW HAMPSHIRE, Trinity Anglican Church, Broad Street, 1853 (Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 293)
LIVINGSTON, STATEN ISLAND, N.Y., St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Davis Avenue at Castleton Avenue, 1853 (A.I.A. Guide to New York City, 1988, 817)
FLUSHING, N.Y., St. George’s Anglican Church, Main Street near 38th Avenue, 1853 (Alan Burnham, New York Landmarks, 1963, 386; A.I.A. Guide to New York City, 1988, 770; perspective dwg. at NAC, National Map Coll. Acc. 83403/35)
SYRACUSE, N.Y., Church of St. James, 1853 (New York Ecclesiologist, v, Oct. 1853, 163)
(attributed) TROY, N.Y., St. John’s Church, 1853 (Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 296)
FRANK WILLS
CORNING, N.Y., Christ Church, c. 1853; burned 1880’s and later abandoned (Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 293)
CASTLETON, LONG ISLAND, N.Y., St. Mary’s Church, 1853; burned 1947 (Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 293)
NAPOLEANVILLE, LOUISIANA, Christ Episcopal Church, 1853-54 (Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 294-5, illus.; Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: Louisiana, 1990, 151; J. Poesch & B.S. Bacot, Louisiana Buildings 1720-1940, 1997, 209-10, illus. & descrip.; Karen Kinglsey, Buildings of Louisiana, 2003, 241-2, illus. & descrip.)
SCOTLAND NECK, NORTH CAROLINA (near Raleigh), Trinity Anglican Church, 1854-55 (Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: North Carolina, 1985, 205, illus.)
SILLERY, QUE., St. Michael's Anglican Church, Chemin St. Louis, opposite Mount Hermon Cemetery, 1854-56 (Malcolm Thurlby, "Three Angliican Churches in Quebec by Frank Wills", in Lucie Morisset, The Architecture of Identity, 2020, 195-202, illus. & descrip.)
PORTAGE-DU-FORT, QUE., St. George's Anglican Church, 1856-58 (Malcolm Thurlby, "Three Angliican Churches in Quebec by Frank Wills", in Lucie Morisset, The Architecture of Identity, 2020, 202-07, illus. & descrip.)
OBERLIN, OHIO, Christ Church (Anglican), South Main Street, 1856-59 (Phoebe Stanton, The Gothic Revival and American Church Architecture, 1968, 293)
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA, Church of the Nativity, Eustis Street at Green Street, 1856-59 (Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: Mississippi and Alabama, 1989, 155-57, illus. & descrip.)
MAUGERVILLE, NEW BRUNSWICK., Christ Church (Anglican), 1856 (Malcolm Thurlby, “Christ Church, Maugerville, New Brunswick” in the Journal of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, xxxviii, No. 1, 2013, 21-28, illus. & descrip.)
ST. FRANCISVILLE, LOUISIANA (near Weyanoke), St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Old East Tunica Road, West Feliciana Parish, 1857 (Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: Louisiana, 1990, 151; Karen Kinglsey, Buildings of Louisiana, 2003, 426-7, descrip.)
(attributed) NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA, Trinity Episcopal Church, 1857 (Karen Kinglsey, Buildings of Louisiana, 2003, 324, descrip.)
INNIS, LOUISIANA, St. Stephen’s Church, c. 1858 (Mills Lane, Architecture of the Old South: Louisiana, 1990, 151; Karen Kinglsey, Buildings of Louisiana, 2003, 419, descrip.)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC, Christ Church Cathedral (Anglican), Ste. Catherine Street West at University Street, begun 1857; completed by Thomas S. Scott in 1858-59 (Montreal Herald, 14 July 1857, 1, detailed architectural descrip.; Montreal Transcript, 5 Aug. 1857, 2, descrip.; and 4 Nov. 1859, 2, descrip.; Gazette [Montreal], 22 May 1857, 2, descrip.; Canadian Ecclesiastical Gazette [Toronto], iv, June 1857, 50-51, descrip.; Ecclesiologist [London], xviii, Dec. 1857, 357-60, descrip.; Builder [London], xvi, Jan. 1858, 26-27, descrip. and plate illus.; Illustrated London News [London], xxxvi, 3 March 1860, 205, descrip. and plate illus.; Canadian Illustrated News [Montreal], ii, 5 Feb. 1870, 210, 213, illus.; Const., xx, Nov. 1927, 346-54, illus. & descrip.; H. Kalman, History of Canadian Architecture, 1994, 287-88, illus. & descrip.; Malcolm Thurlby, "Three Anglican Churches in Quebec by Frank Wills", in Lucie Morisset, The Architecture of Identity, 2020, 207-15, illus. & descrip.; original perspective dwg. of interior at NAC, Picture Collection, C 111264)
COMPETITIONS
TORONTO, ONT., St. James Anglican Cathedral, King Street East at Church Street, 1849. Wills was one of eleven architects from the United States and Canada to submit designs in this important competition (Globe [Toronto], 13 Oct. 1849, 2). The design by Wills was not premiated, and the commission was later awarded to F.W. Cumberland of Toronto. A detailed appraisal and critique of the design submitted by Wills was published in The Church [Toronto], xiii, 13 Sept. 1849, 26, but Wills delivered a swift rebuttal to this, which later appeared in the same journal (The Church [Toronto], xiii, 11 Oct. 1849, 42).