WILSON, William Ridgway (1863-1957)
(biography in preparation)
W. Ridgway WILSON (Institutional & Ecclesiastical works in Victoria unless noted)
SOUTH PARK SCHOOL, Douglas Street at Michigan Street, in James Bay neighbourhood, 1893-94 (Colonist [Victoria], 18 July 1893, 6, descrip.; Victoria Daily Times, 1 Sept. 1893, 8, t.c.; and 30 May 1894, 5; C.A.B., xi, March 1898, illus.; D. Franklin, Early School Architecture in British Columbia, 1980, 83-4, 96, illus.)
ISOLATION HOSPITAL, Mount Tolmie Road, 1893 (Victoria Daily Times, 23 May 1893, 9, t.c.)
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C., Asylum for the Insane, two major extensions, 1897 (Chilliwack Progress, 16 June 1897, 1; C.R., viii, 24 June 1897, 2; B.C.Sessional Papers, 1899, Public Accounts, 610; dwgs. at BCPA, GR54, Box 22, 392)
METLAKATLA, B.C., rebuilding (after a fire) of three school buildings for Indian and white children, for Bishop William Ridley, 1901 (Vancouver Daily World, 26 July 1901, 1)
ESQUIMALT, Lampson Street Public School, 1903 (list of works on A.I.B.C. Application Form 49)
ESQUIMALT, Victoria West Public School, Front Street, designed 1905; built 1906-07 (Victoria Daily Times, 31 Jan. 1905, 8; and 3 Feb. 1905, 8, detailed descrip.; C.R., xviii, 28 Aug. 1907, 4; D. Franklin, Early School Architecture in British Columbia, 1980, 87-8)
ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH, Quadra Street at Mason Street, 1912 (Colonist [Victoria], 6 May 1911, 11, illus.; 28 May 1911, 19, illus.; 5 May 1912, 2, illus. & descrip.; M. Segger & D. Franklin, Victoria, 1979, 236-9, illus.; Barry Magrill, A Commerce of Taste: Church Architecture in Canada 1867-1914, pub. 2012, 152-54, illus. &, descrip.; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 126-27, illus. & descript.)
SAANICH PROVINCIAL JAIL & PRISON FARM, Wilkinson Road, 1912-13 (Colonist [Victoria], 10 Nov. 1912, 16, illus. & descrip.; M. Segger & D. Franklin, Exploring Victoria's Architecture, 1996, 262, illus.; Donald Luxton & Jennifer Barr, Saanich Heritage Structures, 2008, 55, illus. & descrip.)
VICTORIA DRILL HALL, for the Fifth Regiment, Bay Street at McBride Street, 1913-14 (Colonist [Victoria], 21 March 1911, 17, illus.; 5 April 1913, 7, illus. & descrip.; Canada, Sessional Papers, No. 19, 1916, 110; M. Segger & D. Franklin, Exploring Victoria's Architecture, 1996, 72, illus.; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 36-37, illus. & descript.)
W. Ridgway WILSON (Commercial and Industrial works in Victoria unless noted)
NANAIMO, B.C., Opera House & Hotel, Church Street, for Alderman John Mahrer, 1889 (Nanaimo Free Press, 19 March 1889, 3, descrip.; and 18 Oct. 1889, 9, descrip.; Victoria Daily Times, 22 Aug. 1889, 4; and 25 Nov. 1889, 1)
LANGLEY STREET, a large commercial block for an unnamed client, 1893 (Victoria Daily Times, 25 Feb. 1893, 4, t.c)
LOO TAI CHO BUILDING, Fisgard Street, a 4 storey block, 1893 (John Adams, Chinese Victoria, 2022, 108, illus.)
ROBERT PORTER & SON, Douglas Street at Johnson Street, commercial block, 1900 (C.R., xi, 1 Aug. 1900, 2; M. Segger & D. Franklin, Exploring Victoria's Architecture, 1996, 57, illus.)
BANK OF BRITISH NORTH AMERICA, Yates Street near Langley Street, extensive alterations and new glass dome, 1902 (Colonist [Victoria], 1 May 1902, 5, descrip.)
B.C. SOAP WORKS & BRITISH AMERICAN PAINT CO., Belleville Street, Laurel Point, several buildings for William J. Pendray, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 22 Nov. 1905, 2, t.c.)
VERNON BLOCK, Douglas Street at View Street, major alterations and improvements, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 28 Nov. 1906, 2)
MAHON BLOCK, Government Street near Fort Street, reconstruction after the fire, 1908 (C.R., xix, 29 April 1908, 19; M. Segger & D. Franklin, Exploring Victoria's Architecture, 1996, 60, illus.)
LAW CHAMBERS BLOCK, Langley Street, interior alterations to commercial block, with addition of a new floor above existing building, for Thomas Gore, 1909 (Evening Post (Victoria), 7 April 1909, 14; and 15 April 1909, 3)
WESTERN MOTOR & SUPPLY CO., Broad Street near Pandora Avenue, a 2 storey block of stores and auto garage, 1909 (Victoria Daily Times, 8 Nov. 1909, 4, descrip.; C.R., xxiii, 17 Nov. 1909, 23)
LEE BUILDING, Broad Street at Johnson Street, for R.P. Clark, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 26 Jan. 1910, 23)
KER BLOCK, Pandora Avenue at Cook Street, commercial block for David R. Ker, 1911 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 121-22, illus. & descript.)
WILSON BLOCK, Government Street at Trounce Alley, for W. & J. Wilson, 1912 (M. Segger & D. Franklin, Exploring Victoria's Architecture, 1996, 67, illus.)
W. Ridgway WILSON (Residential works in Victoria unless noted)
MOSS STREET, near Fort Street, 'Gyppeswyk', residence for Mrs. Alexander A. Green, now the Art Gallery of Victoria, 1889 (Victoria Daily Times, 30 May 1889, 4, t.c.; 8 June 1889, 4, descrip.; M. Segger & D. Franklin, Victoria, 1979, 260-3, illus.; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 186-87, illus. & descript.; Robert R. Taylor, The Spencer Mansion, 2012, 20-25, illus. & descrip.)
SCORESBY STREET, near Cook Street, two houses for Arthur J.W. Bridgeman, 1889; demol. (Victoria Daily Times, 15 July 1889, 4)
QUAMICHAN, B.C., residence for J.C. Prevost, 1889-90 (Victoria Daily Times, 15 Nov. 1889, 4)
UPPER BELCHER STREET, residence for Major J. Peters, 1889-90 (Victoria Daily Times, 17 Dec. 1889, 4, t.c.)
OAK BAY, residence for Sir Clive Phillipps-Wooley, Oak Bay Avenue at Clive Drive, 1890; demol. 1969 (Daily Colonist (Victoria), 9 May 1948, Section Three, p. 6, illus. & descrip. in historical article; inf. Anna Sander, Archivist, Corporation of The District of Oak Bay)
ROCKLAND AVENUE, residence for Thomas B. Hall, 1890 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2007, 161, illus.)
GORGE ROAD EAST, 'Armitage', residence for Charles Spratt, 1894; demol. 1933 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 14, illus. & descrip.)
BELCHER STREET, 'Schuhuum', residence for Hewitt Bostock, 1894 (M. Segger & D. Franklin, Victoria, 1979, 270-1, illus.; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 201-02, illus. & descript.)
GORGE ROAD EAST, residence for W. Ridgway Wilson, architect, 1897; demol. 1959 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 14, illus. & descrip.)
HATLEY PARK, COLWOOD, major additions and extensive alterations for residence for Ronald W. Stuart, 1903 (Victoria Daily Times, 27 June 1903, 5)
FAIRFIELD ROAD, 'Arbutus', residence for John Douglas, 1903 (Victoria Daily Times, 17 July 1903, 5; C.R., xiv, 29 July 1903, 2)
SHASTA PLACE, residence for Albert E. Todd, 1904 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2014, 191-92, illus. & descript.)
FORT STREET, near Pemberton Road, residence for Robert Mowat, 1905; demol. 1968 (Victoria Daily Times, 4 May 1905, 5; inf. Jennifer Barr, Victoria)
ROCKLAND AVENUE, near Terrace Avenue, 'Patly', residence for James A. Mitchell, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 13 Sept. 1905, 2; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 219-20, illus. & descript.)
ROCKLAND AVENUE, residence for Dr. Thomas Jones, 1908 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 4, 2009, 119-20, illus. & descrip.)
LOTBINIERE AVENUE, residence for Charles Spratt, 1909-10 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 178=79, illus. & descript.)
VERNON MANSIONS APARTMENTS, View Street, 1910 (Colonist [Victoria], 8 Sept. 1910, 10, illus. & descrip.)
ST. CHARLES STREET, near Richardson Street, residence for Edward G. Prior, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 12 April 1911, 54; Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 238-39, illus. & descript.)
ROCKLAND AVENUE, residence for Rout Harvey, 1912 (Victoria Heritage Foundation, This Old House: Victoria's Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. 3, 2021, 203-04, illus. & descript.)
SAANICH, B.C., St. Michael's University School, The Gate House, a residence for the Headmaster [now called Reynolds House], Richmond Road at Knight Avenue, 1924 (Victoria Daily Times, 7 June 1930, 10, illus. & descrip.; D.. Luxton & J. Barr, Saanich Heritage Structures, 2008, 173, illus., but lacking attribution; inf. Jennifer Barr, Victoria).
COMPETITIONS
VICTORIA, B.C., North Ward School and South Ward School, 1893. The office of W. Ridgway Wilson was one of 14 architects from the USA and Canada who submitted plans in this competition (Victoria Daily Times, 13 July 1893, 7, descrip. and list of competitors). The juror was R. Mackay Fripp of Vancouver, who stated that this submisson "....is a good one, but the elevations are weak and poorly drawn". The design by Wilson, labeled No. 8, was among the prize winners. The first premium was jointly awarded to Soule & Day, along with W. Ridgeway Wilson.
VICTORIA, B.C., Carnegie Library, Yates Street at Blanchard Street,1903. Wilson was one of 6 architects who submitted a design, but all the entries were rejected by the Committee because they did not comply with the conditions (Victoria Daily Times, 13 June 1903, 1, and 16 June 1903, 3). The commission was later given to Hooper & Watkins in 1904.