SIMS, Henry Augustus (1832-1875)
(biography in preparation)
(works in Canada)
SPENCERVILLE, ONT., Edwardsburgh Township Hall, 1858 (Brockville Recorder, 25 Feb. 1858, 3, t.c.)
AUGUSTA TOWNSHIP, ONT., a township hall, 1858 (Montreal Transcript, 9 April 1858, 2, t.c.)
PRESCOTT, ONT., cemetery monument for Rev. Robert Blakey, 1860 (dwgs. NAC, MG29 B36, Sims Papers)
OTTAWA, ONT., monument (perhaps a cemetery monument) for G.E. Aird, 1864 (Ottawa Citizen, 22 July 1864, 2, descrip.)
OTTAWA, ONT., cottage for Bradish Billings Sr., 1864 (NAC, Sims Papers, entry for 7 March 1864)
OTTAWA, ONT., Skating Arena & Curling Rink, 1864; major addition, 1865 (Ottawa Citizen, 22 Nov. 1864, 2, descrip.; 14 Nov. 1865, 2, descrip.)
OTTAWA, ONT., cottage at Ashburnham Hill for Charles King, 1864 (Ottawa Union, 29 Dec. 1864, 2)
OTTAWA, ONT., commercial buildings for Mr. Prodrick, Sussex Street, 1865 (Ottawa Union, 1 July 1865, 2)
IROQUOIS, ONT., St. John's Anglican Church, 1865-67; demol. c. 1957 (Canadian Churchman [Kingston], 30 Aug. 1865, 2, descrip.; 3 July 1867, 2, descrip.)
OTTAWA & PRESCOTT RAILWAY CO., a new bridge over the Rideau River, comprising four spans each 95 ft. long, with pedestrian walkway on one side, near Cathcart Street and King Edward Avenue, 1865-66; rail line abandoned 1964 and bridge demol., but stone piers designed by Sims still visible in the River as of 2018 (Ottawa Citizen, 20 Nov. 1865, 2, descrip.)
OTTAWA, ONT., residence at New Edinburgh for Robert Blackburn 'near Mr. Currier's residence', 1867 (Ottawa Citizen, 1 Nov. 1867, 3, descrip.)
EDWARDSBURGH, ONT., Anglican Church, for Rev. E.W. Beaven, 1868 (dwgs. at OA, D. Coll., Item 1879)
OTTAWA, ONT., residence for Robert Blackburn, MP, Ottawa Street, 1877 (Free Press [Ottawa], 1 Nov. 1877, 4)
(works in the U.S.A.)
CAPE MAY, N.J., Anglican Church, 1866 (NAC, MG29, B36, Sims Papers)
PHILADELPHIA, PENN., Second Presbyterian Church, 22nd. Street at Walnut Street, 1870-72 (American Architect & Builders Monthly, i, May 1870, 40-1, descrip.; June 1870, plate illus.; Philadelphia Inquirer, 12 Oct. 1872, 2, extensive descrip.)
PHILADELPHIA, PENN., parish house for Christ Church (Anglican), 1870-71; demol. (Philadelphia Inquirer, 20 May 1871, 2; J.F. O'Gorman et al, Drawing Toward Building: Philadephia Architectural Graphics 1732-1986, 131, illus.)
PHILADELPHIA, PENN., major alterations to Picture House, Pennsylvania Hospital, c. 1871 (J.F. O'Gorman et al, Drawing Toward Building: Philadephia Architectural Graphics 1732-1986, 131-2, illus.)
NORRISTOWN, PENN., Montgomery County Almshouse, c. 1873 (Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1888, v, 540)
HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND, Washington County Court House, 1873 (The Herald & Torch Light [Hagerstown], 24 Sept. 1873, 2; Appleton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, 1888, v, 540, list of works)
PHILADELPHIA, PENN., Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 1874 (J.F. O'Gorman et al, Drawing Toward Building: Philadephia Architectural Graphics 1732-1986, 131)
PHILADELPHIA, PENN., The Girard Avenue Bridge, over the Schuylkill River, 1873-74 (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 July 1874, 2, extensive descrip.)
READING, PENN., Masonic Hall, North Sixth Street, above Washington Street, 1875 (Reading Times & Dispatch, 11 Aug. 1875, 1, descrip.)
COMPETITIONS
PRESCOTT, ONT., St. John's Anglican Church, 1858. Sims was one of several Canadians who submitted an entry for this ecclesiastical commission. His scheme was passed over in favour of that by Thomas S. Scott, who later appointed Sims to supervise the construction of the building in 1858-59 (Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, Collected Papers, v, 1982, 42)
PHILADELPHIA, PENN., City Hall, 1869. Sims joined Fuller & Laver of San Francisco to prepare a joint submission in this major American competition while Sims was residing in Philadelphia (Evening Telegraph [Philadelphia], 13 Sept. 1869, 8, list of finalists). The juror Thomas U. Walter awarded them Third Premium of $1,000 for their scheme. The winning design was submitted by John McArthur (inf. Dr. Michael Lewis, Bryn Mawr College, Penn., letter dated 30 May 1992)
OTTAWA, ONT., City Hall, 1872. From his Philadelphia office Sims sent in a design in this Canadian competition, but his scheme was not among the finalists. The first prize was awarded to Silas James, but his proposal was never built. The commission was eventually awarded to Horsey & Sheard (M. Newton, Lower Town Ottawa, 1981, ii, 458)
PHILADELPHIA, PENN., Centennial Exposition, 1873. Among the forty-three entrants in this major competition, Sims was selected as one of ten finalists in the second round, and later received Fourth Prize of $1,000 for his effort. The first premium was awarded to the Philadelphia firm of Collins & Autenrieth, but their scheme proved far too costly and was never built. The Centennial Commission later asked Vaux & Radford of New York to design the main Exhibit Hall, and to combine the best ideas of the Sims entry into their own proposal (Philadelphia Inquirer, 4 Nov. 1873, 2, competition results; 4, descrip.; New York Times, 5 Nov. 1873, 3, descrip.; J.F. O'Gorman et al, Drawing Toward Building: Philadelphia Architectural Graphics 1732-1986, 141)
PRESCOTT, ONT., Town Hall, 1874. Undeterred by his loss in the competition for the City Hall in Ottawa, Sims and his brother James P. prepared an ambitious design for the Town Hall in the Second Empire style. Their signed perspective drawing has survived and can be found in the Picture Collection of the National Archives of Canada (NAC C5832). Their entry did not receive a prize, and the commission was awarded to William T. Thomas of Montreal.