EVANS, Frank Robert (1865-1949) sustained a successful practise as a builder, contractor, and later as an architect in Saskatchewan and Manitoba for nearly fifty years. Born in North Wales on 13 November 1865, he was the son of Robert Evans, a successful architect in London, England. He was educated at Dulwich College, South London, and he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from Dublin University in 1884. He trained under his father in London in 1884-90, and at the age of 25 years he emigrated to Canada, settling in Saskatchewan where he established a business as a builder and contractor in Regina, Sask. There, he was reputed to have built the first wood frame house in that city in 1890, and his first recorded work as an architect was the commercial block for the Regina Leader newspaper (1893). His name as “architect” first appears in the Regina Directory in 1896, but by 1898 he had relocated to Winnipeg, Man. where he was listed as a foreman with W. Brydon Co. Contractors, Ltd. in 1899 and again in 1900. He commenced practise as an architect and building valuator under his own name in late 1900, and was a competent if somewhat conservative designer of commercial, residential, educational and ecclesiastical buildings in both Manitoba and Saskatchewan, One of his best-known residential commissions was the mansion for John H. Chambers, Kennedy Street, Winnipeg (1904), a Colonial Revival landmark with substantial porches and verandahs lining two sides of the building.
The last recorded work by Evans was completed in 1922. He later retired from the profession in 1934 and died in Brandon, Man. on 9 May 1949 (obit. Winnipeg Free Press, 11 May 1949, 33; Winnipeg Tribune, 11 May 1949, 3; biog. and port. in Manitoba: Pictorial & Biographical, 1913, Vol. ii, 220-22, illus.; biog. and port. in F. Howard Scholfield, The Story of Manitoba, 1913, Vol. iii, 36-7; biography Winnipeg Saturday Post, 8 June 1912, 39; biography and port. Who’s Who & Why in Canada, 1915-16, 626)
Frank R. EVANS, (works in Winnipeg)
BENNETTO & CO., a commercial block for Israel Bennetto, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 3 June 1903, 2)
FOLEY, LOCK & LARSON, Market Street East, warehouse, 1903; addition, 1905 (C.R., xiv, 8 April 1903, 2, t.c.; and xvi, 7 June 1905, 5, t.c.; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 March 1905, 7, illus. & descrip.; and 6 Dec. 1906, 32, descrip.)
HARGRAVE STREET, residence for David Philip, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 29 July 1903, 2, t.c.)
GREAT WEST SADDLERY CO., Market Avenue, major addition to warehouse, 1903 (Winnipeg, 1990-The Year Past, 57-8, illus.)
MAYFAIR AVENUE, large residence for Max Goldstein, 1904 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 9 April 1904, 5, descrip.)
FORT ROUGE, Baptist Church, 1904 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 9 April 1904, 5, descrip.)
PAULIN-CHAMBERS BLOCK, addition of an extra storey above the existing building, 1904 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 9 April 1904, 5, descrip.)
LELAND HOTEL, William Avenue at Albert Street, additional stories and remodelling of existing building, 1904 (C.A.B., xvii, June 1904, 102)
ST. NICHOLAS HOTEL, Main Street, addition and alterations, 1904 (C.A.B., xvii, June 1904, 102)
NATIONAL HOTEL, Logan Avenue, enlargement and alterations, 1904 (C.A.B., xvii, June 1904, 102)
ELGIN AVENUE, pair of houses for F. Argue, 1904 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 11 July 1904, 2, t.c.)
BRYDON BLOCK, Rupert Avenue, 1904 (Winnipeg b.p. 1080, 14 July 1904)
YOUNG STREET, residence for D. Brown, 1904 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 17 June 1904, 2, t.c.)
KENNEDY STREET, residence for John H. Chambers, 1905 (C.A.B., xviii, March 1905, 37, descrip. & plate illus.)
DUFFERIN AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Dufferin Avenue at McGregor Street, 1905 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 11 April 1905, 7, illus. & descrip.)
L. & M. MORRIS BLOCK, Dagmar Street, 1905 (Winnipeg Tribune, 1 June 1905, 4)
ORRIS APARTMENTS, Elgin Avenue, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 7 June 1905, 5; Winnipeg b.p. 1364, 16 June 1905)
BANNATYNE AVENUE, residence for George Frankfurter, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 21 March 1906, 7, t.c.)
YOUNG STREET, major addition to residence for Thomas H. Oxley, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 16 May 1906, 6, t.c.)
SPENCE STREET, residence for Mrs. S. Campbell, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 6 June 1906, 5, t.c.)
TABERNACLE BAPTIST CHURCH, Burrows Avenue at Charles Street, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 4 July 1906, 4, t.c.; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 Dec. 1906, 52, illus. & descrip.)
DONALD STREET, residence for Charles A. Baskerville, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 27 June 1906, 4)
BALMORAL PLACE, residence for Duncan D. McQuatt, 1907 (C.R., xviii, 3 April 1907, 7; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 8 April 1907, 7, descrip.; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 22 April 1907, 10, t.c.)
D. ACKLAND & SONS, Higgins Avenue, warehouse, 1907; additional buildings, 1911 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 8 April 1907, 7, descrip.; C.R., xviii, 3 April 1907, 7; xxv, 5 April 1911, 61)
MANITOBA ROLLING MILL CO., near the CPR tracks on the northwest corner of Vincent Street, 1907 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 8 April 1907, 7, descrip.)
OAK AVENUE, in Norwood, a large residence for Frank Grier, 1909 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 7 July 1909, 11)
WARDLOW AVENUE, residence for J.J. Driscoll, 1909 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 7 July 1909, 11)
KATE STREET, warehouse for Neelands, Simpson, Turner & Irvine, 1909 (C.R., xxiii, 8 Sept. 1909, 21)
SAFETY STORAGE & FORWARDING CO., Kate Street near McDermot Avenue, warehouse, 1909 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 25 Dec. 1909, 7, illus. & descrip.)
JOHNSTONE BLOCK, Pacific Avenue, for James & R. Johnstone, 1910 (Winnipeg b.p. 1807, 1910; C.R., xxiv, 22 June 1910, 27)
PAULIN-CHAMBERS CO., Ross Avenue, warehouse, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 19 Jan. 1910, 24)
MANOR HOTEL, Main Street, major addition, 1910 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 9 Aug. 1910, 2, t.c.)
LANGSIDE STREET, residence for James A.M. Aikins, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 22 Feb. 1911, 30, t.c.)
ENRIGHT BLOCK, Jarvis Avenue at Main Street, major addition, 1911 (Winnipeg Tribune, 1 April 1911, 5, descrip.; C.R., xxv, 5 April 1911, 61, t.c.)
MAIN STREET, at Redwood Avenue, five stores for Edmund McKenty, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 16 Aug. 1911, 63)
KILMARNOCK APARTMENTS, Balmoral Street, near Ellice Avenue, apartment block for A. McBean, 1913 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg],2 Aug. 1913, 10; Winnipeg b.p. 2027, 17 June 1913)
EXCHANGE HOTEL, Main Street, 1917 (inf. from R. Rostecki, Winnipeg)
MANITOBA GYPSUM CO., St. James Street near Sargent Avenue, warehouse, 1917 (inf. from R. Rostecki, Winnipeg)
R.S. ROBINSON CO., Louise Street at Rupert Avenue, warehouse, 1919 (C.R., xxxiii, 13 Aug. 1919, 48)
OLYMPIC SKATING RINK, Charles Street at Church Avenue, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 18 Oct. 1922, 54)
GREGG BUILDING, Albert Street, 1922 (Winnipeg b.p. 990, 1922)
Frank R. EVANS (works elsewhere)
REGINA, SASK., Regina Leader Newspaper Co., Hamilton Street, offices and printing plant, 1893 (Leader [Regina], 1 March 1894, 2, illus. & descrip.)
REGINA, SASK., The Mowat & Smales Block, Broad Street, located "...on the old Dawson lots" where a fire occurred during the previous year, 1894 (Leader [Regina], 10 May 1894, 8; inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MAN., J.F. Robb Butcher Store, Saskatchewan Avenue, "..between the Bellevue Hotel and J. & E. Brown's Store", 1904 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 9 April 1904, 5, descrip.)
MOOSOMIN, SASK., general hospital, 1905 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 May 1905, 10, illus. & descrip.; C.R., xvi, 31 May 1905, 7)
MOOSOMIN, SASK., Town Hall, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 10 May 1905, 10, t.c.; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 12 Aug. 1905, 11, illus. & descrip.)
MOOSOMIN, SASK., The White Block, Main Street at South Front Street, for W. White, a 3 storey commercial block, with a 2 storey extension, and later called The Queens Hotel, 1905; still standing in 2023 (Manitoba Daily Free Press (Winnipeg), 20 May 1905, 2, t.c.; inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
ELM CREEK, MAN., public school, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 3 May 1905, 6, t.c.)
SANFORD, MAN., municipal hall, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 23 Aug. 1905, 2, t.c.)
SHOAL LAKE, MAN., public school, 1906 (C.R., xvi, 24 Jan. 1906, 2, t.c.)
REGINA, SASK., major addition to the Alexandra Hotel, Hamilton Street, 1906 (Morning Leader [Regina], 10 Feb. 1906, 1, descrip.)
GRANDVIEW, MAN., public school, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 16 May 1906, 4)
QU'APPELLE, SASK., a three storey commercial block for an unnamed client, 1906 (Winnipeg Tribune, 19 May 1906, 9)
HEADLINGLY, MAN., public school, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 3 Oct. 1906, 2, t.c.)
STONEWALL, MAN., public school, 1907 (C.R., xvii, 27 Feb. 1907, 6; Winnipeg Tribune, 13 March 1907, 10)
BROADVIEW, SASK., public school, 1907 (C.R., xviii, 13 March 1907, 2, t.c.)
BROADVIEW, SASK., commercial block for A.R. Colquhoun, 1907 (Winnipeg Tribune, 13 March 1907, 10; Pacific Builder & Engineer [Seattle], v, 6 April 1907, 8)
YORKTON, SASK., hotel, 1907 (C.R., xviii, 10 July 1907, 4, t.c.)
CANORA, SASK., public school, 1908 (C.R., xix, 29 April 1908, 17, t.c.)
SPERLING, MAN., public school, 1910 (Winnipeg Tribune, 25 Feb. 1910, 1)
BRANDON, MAN., Clement Block, Rosser Avenue at Ninth Street, 1910 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 9 April 1910, 10, illus.; C.R., xxiv, 20 April 1910, 25)
DARLINGFORD, MAN., public school, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 17 Aug. 1910, 25, t.c.)
ST. ANDREW'S, MAN., municipal hall, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 24 Aug. 1910, 25, t.c.)
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MAN., St. John's Roman Catholic Church, 1913-14 (Manitoba, Early Architecture of Portage La Prairie, 1983, illus.)
ST. LOUIS, MAN., public school, 1915 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 9 Aug. 1915, 2, t.c.)
BASSWOOD, MAN., public school, 1916 (C.R., 8 March 1916, 43; 19 April 1916, 45; inf. Scott Edwards)
DOMINION CITY, MAN., public school, 1916; demol. c. 1966 (C.R., xxx, 8 March 1916, 44; 17 May 1916, 47; inf. Scott Edwards)
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MAN., Victoria Public School, 1916-17 (Manitoba, Early Architecture of Portage La Prairie, 1983, illus.)
BRANDON, MAN., Young Women's Christian Association, Eleventh Street, 1917 (Brandon b.p. 2443, 4 July 1917)