MITCHELL, Willard Morse (1879-1955) was active in New Brunswick and in Nova Scotia for more than a decade before turning his attention to artistic pursuits and becoming a painter of Canadian rural scenery. Born in Saint John, N.B. on 14 February 1879, he attended Rothesay Collegiate School in 1892-98, then joined the office of R.C. John Dunn, a leading architect in Saint John, in 1901. He articled with Dunn until his death in April 1902, and continued his training with the new firm of McKean & Dunn, formed by John T.C. McKean and Frederick B. Dunn, a brother of the R.C.J. Dunn. Mitchell opened his own office in Saint John in early 1903 (Daily Sun [Saint John], 4 May 1903, 8). In 1904 he submitted plans in the competition for the new Court House at Hopewell Cape, Albert Co., N.B., but his scheme was set aside in favour of the winning design by Watson E. Reid (C.A. Hale, The Early Courthouses of New Brunswick, 1977, 67).
By early 1907 he had relocated to Amherst, Nova Scotia. He was active there as an architect for more than a decade, and devoted his spare time to painting and wood carving. He appears to have abandoned a career in architecture when, in 1923, he moved to Belleville, Ont. and began to exhibit his paintings on a regular basis. In 1927 he moved again, this time to Montreal where he remained for the duration of his career, and frequently exhibited his landscape paintings at several venues including the Spring Exhibition at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (E. McMann, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: Spring Exhibitions 1880-1970, 1988, 269). Mitchell died in Montreal on 15 June 1955 (death notice Montreal Star, 16 June 1955, 39; biog. Colin MacDonald, Dictionary of Canadian Artists, iv, 1974, 1244-45; M. Rosinski, Architects in Nova Scotia: A Biographical Dictionary 1605-1950, 1994, 215-16; inf. Garry Shutlak, Halifax, N.S.)
SAINT JOHN, N.B.
PORTLAND METHODIST CHURCH, major addition, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 10 June 1903, 3, t.c.)
E.O. PARSONS LTD., King Street at Ludlow Street, office and warehouse, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 26 Aug. 1903, 2, t.c.)
OAK POINT, or WOODMAN'S POINT, a floating hotel on the Saint John River, 1904 (Daily Telegraph [Saint John], 14 June 1904, descrip.)
WENTWORTH STREET, residence for H.V. Hatfield, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 21 March 1906, 5)
ELSEWHERE
CAMBRIDGE NARROWS, N.B., Church of the Good Shepherd (Anglican), on the west side of the Washademoak River, 1903-04 (C.R., xiv, 18 Nov. 1903, 2; inf. Rev. Alvin R. Westgate, Cambridge Narrows, N.B.)
SALINA, N.B., a large hotel and sanatorium for the Mah Pu Mineral Springs Co., near Bloomfield Station, 1904 (undated article from the Saint John Globe, Spring 1904, with description of proposed buildings)
ROTHESAY, N.B., clubhouse for the Rothesay Boating Club '.....in the cove between Rothesay wharf and the railway track', facing Kennebecasis Bay, 1904 (undated news clipping, Spring 1904, from Mrs. Betty [Mitchell] Svebel)
FLORENCEVILLE, N.B., Consolidated School, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 24 May 1905, 2)
AMHERST, N.S., Amherst Boot & Shoe Co., Douglas Street, warehouse, 1907; addition to engine and boiler house, 1907 (Amherst Daily News, 24 Aug. 1907, 3; 30 Sept. 1907, 8)
AMHERST, N.S., Knox Presbyterian Church, Robie Street, near Havelock Street, 1907-08 (Amherst Daily News, 21 Oct. 1907, 8; and 8 Feb. 1908, 1; Morning Chronicle [Halifax], 1 Jan. 1908, Second Section, 3; Evening Mail [Halifax], 10 Feb. 1908, 3, descrip.)
AMHERST, N.S., residence for E.E. Hewson, Victoria Street at Regent Street, 1907-08 (Morning Chronicle [Halifax], 1 Jan. 1908, Second Section, 4)
AMHERST, N.S., manse for St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church, 1908 (Amherst Daily News, 24 June 1908, 4)
AMHERST, N.S., design for a large wood trunk to be presented to H.R.H. The Princess of Wales during her visit to Quebec City in 1908 (Evening Mail (Halifax), 19 Aug. 1908, 9-10, descrip.)
AMHERST, N.S., residence for Capt. Blair Carter, Rupert Street, 1908 (Amherst Daily News, 13 Aug. 1908, 4)
SACKVILLE, N.B., Mount Allison University, Charles Fawcett Memorial Hall, 1910 (J. Leroux & T. Holownia, Vision in Wood & Stone: The Architecture of Mount Allison University, 2016, 71-73, illus. & descrip.)
SPRINGHILL, N.S., Methodist Church, Main Street at Glooscap Trail, 1913 (dwgs. at PANS, Halifax)