KAIN, Francis (or Frank) (1851-1911) practised in Saint John N.B. where he played a minor role in the rebuilding of the city after the Great Fire there in June 1877. He was the son of John Kain, and they listed themselves as 'John Kain & Son, Architects & Builders' in McAlpine's Saint John City Directory for 1877-78. From May 1877 Frank Kain practised under his own name until 1881, and was one of fourteen architects from the United States and Canada to submit a design in the competition for the Legislative Buildings in Fredericton in early 1879. His scheme was not premiated because it was '....badly planned, and covered a large area' (American Architect & Building News [Boston], v, 5 April 1879, 109). Kain later died in Saint John on 29 January 1911 (obituary The Standard [Saint John], 30 Jan 1911, 4, and obituary with list of works in the Daily Telegraph [Saint John], 30 Jan. 1911, 5; death notice Montreal Daily Star, 3 Feb. 1911, 15).
(works in Saint John)
FORT HOWE ROAD, residence for Patrick McGoldrick, 1877 (Daily News [Saint John], 19 May 1877, 3, descrip.)
KING STREET, at Germain Street, commercial block for Thomas H. Hall, with Orange Hall above, 1877 (Daily Telegraph [Saint John], 6 July 1877, 2, descrip.)
GERMAIN STREET, at Princess Street, block for Dr. Joseph C. Hatheway, 1877 (Daily News [Saint John], 1 Dec. 1877, 3)
SYDNEY STREET, at Duke Street, block for Mrs. Margaret Maloney, with three storey block adjacent for the same client, 1877 (Daily News [Saint John], 4 Dec. 1877, 2)
SYDNEY STREET, block for Thomas C. Humbert, 1877 (Daily News [Saint John], 5 Dec. 1877, 3)
DUKE STREET, block for John Richards, 1877 (Daily News [Saint John], 14 Dec. 1877, 3)
HORSFIELD STREET, block for John Low, 1877 (Daily News [Saint John], 15 Dec. 1877, 3)
ST. JAMES STREET, block for Patrick Condon, 1877 (Daily News [Saint John], 28 Dec. 1877, 3)
ST. JAMES STREET, block of six houses for John Sears, 1878 (Daily News [Saint John], 22 Nov. 1878, 3, descrip.)
SYDNEY STREET, residence for Thomas Taylor, 1878 (Daily News [Saint John], 27 Nov. 1878, 3, descrip.)
REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Peel Street at Carleton Street, 1878-79 (American Architect & Building News, iv, 19 Oct. 1878, 134, descrip.; Daily Telegraph [Saint John], 14 April 1879, 3, descrip.)
GARDEN STREET, stores and boarding house for Thomas Dean, 1879 (Daily Sun [Saint John], 20 June 1879, 3)
BARRACK GREEN, oil storage building, 1879 (Daily Sun [Saint John], 20 June 1879, 3)
KING STREET EAST, residence for Louis Nelson, 1879 (Daily Sun [Saint John], 20 June 1879, 3)
KING STREET, near Carmarthen Street, residence for John S. Hall, 1879 (Daily Sun [Saint John], 1 Oct. 1879, 3)
COMPETITIONS
FREDERICTON, N.B., Legislative Building, 1879. Kain was one of 14 competitors who submitted plans for this important commission (American Architect & Building News [Boston], v, 5 April 1879, 109). His scheme was not premiated, and J.C. Dumaresq was awarded First Prize. A detailed description of the design prepared by Kain, and presented in the Classical style, was published in the Daily Telegraph [Saint John], 21 March 1879, 2, and 16 Feb. 1882, page 5.