GILLEN & GILLEN, active in Kingston, Ont. from 1888 to c. 1893, and later in Belleville, Ont. from 1894 until c. 1900. The firm was comprised of Erastus Gillen (1865-1903) and his older brother Frederick B. Gillen (1858-1913). In 1888 they were described as 'successors to Robert Gage', a leading architect in Kingston, Ont. who left that city in early 1888 and moved to California. The younger Gillen likely trained with Gage, but it is uncertain where Frederick received his education and training.
Dr. Erastus Gillen was born in Belleville, Ont. in 1865, but he moved to the United States after 1880 and was recorded as a draftsman in St. Paul, Minnesota for Denslow W. Millard (1840 - c. 1910), a prominent architect in that city. He trained with Millard for at least two years (St. Paul City Directory, 1886, p. 431; Directory for 1887, p. 517), but by early 1888 he had moved back to Ontario and was living in Kingston (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 7 Feb. 1888, 8; and 9 Feb. 1888, 8), and it was said that he had previously "...studied architectural designing in Chicago and St. Paul". He practised in the partnership of Gillen & Gillen from their office in Kingston in 1888 to about 1893. Their largest and most elaborate project was for the Hotel Quinte, Belleville (1893), a substantial 4 storey landmark costing $150,000, and designed by Frederick Gillen, "....to whose good taste and rare skill and diligent oversight and beauty and excellence of this hotel is due" (Kingston Daily News, 18 Jan. 1894, 4, descrip.). Both the Gillen brothers moved to Belleville and opened an office on Front Street in Belleville, Ont. (Union Pub. Co., Belleville City Directory 1894-95, 52), but Erastus G. appears to have abandoned the profession to take up the study of medicine, enrolling in courses at Queen's University, and later opening his own doctor's office in Mount Morris, N.Y. His obituary notes that he 'practiced the profession of an architect before he studied medicine' (Intelligencer [Belleville], 26 May 1903, 7). He died in Belleville on 24 May 1903.
Frederick B. Gillen continued to operate his own office as an architect in Belleville until 1900 (Belleville City Directory, 1896, 50; Belleville City Directory, 1899-1900, 35), and he may have continued to practise architecture after the death of his younger brother, but no references to the work of Gillen & Gillen has been found after 1895. F.B. Gillen died in Belleville on 11 June 1913 (obit. Daily Standard [Kingston], 11 June 1913, 1; obit. Daily British Whig [Kingston], 12 June 1913, 9; obit Intelligencer [Belleville], 13 June 1913, 3; biog. and works in Jennifer McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region 1820-1920, 2019, 52-53, illus.)
KINGSTON
CHALMERS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Earl Street at Barrie Street, 1888-90 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 28 April 1888, 8, detailed descrip.; and 14 July 1888, t.c.; and 25 July 1888, 8, descrip.; City of Kingston, Buildings of Architectural & Historic Significance, v, 1980, 16-19, illus.; J. McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region, 2019, 52, illus. & descrip.)
ALFRED STREET, three brick houses for Alderman Christopher Robinson, 1888 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 28 April 1888, 8)
KING STREET EAST, near Gore Street, pair of brick houses for Dr. John Herald, 1889 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 25 April 1889, 8)
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, Carruthers Science Hall, a large two storey educational block, 1889-90 (Kingston Daily News, 5 June 1889, 1, descrip.; Daily British Whig [Kingston], 8 July 1889, 1, t.c.)
SMITH BROTHERS LTD., terrace of shops and apartments on Johnston Street for Smith Bros., Jewellers, 1890 (inf. Margaret Angus, Kingston)
KING STREET EAST, at William Street, residence and office for Dr. Herbert J. Saunders, 1890 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 12 June 1890, t.c.; City of Kingston, Buildings of Architectural and Historic Significance, v, 1980, 189-91, illus.; J. McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region, 2019, 52, illus. & descrip.)
ODDFELLOWS BLOCK, Princess Street at Sydenham Street, 1891; burned January 1899; rebuilt by Power & Son (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 1 April 1891, t.c.; J. McKendry, Bricks in 19th Century Architecture of the Kingston Area, 2017, 61, illus. & descrip.; J. McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region, 2019, 53, illus.)
OTTAWA HOTEL, Princess Street at Ontario Street, on the property of Lieut. Gov. Kirkpatrick, 1893 (C.R., iv, 13 April 1893, 2)
BELLEVILLE
ODDFELLOWS HALL, 1892 (C.R., iii, 16 April 1892, 2)
HAINES & LOCKETT BOOT & SHOE CO., major 2 storey extension to office and factory, 1893 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 1 March 1893, 1, descrip.)
HOTEL QUINTE, Pinnacle Street at Bridge Street, for George Wilson, W.H. Biggar, H. Corby, John Bell, M.E. Thompson and others, 1893-94 (C.R., iii, 24 Dec. 1892, 1; iii, 4 Feb. 1893, 1, t.c.; Daily British Whig [Kingston], 9 Feb. 1893, 1; Kingston Daily News, 18 Jan. 1894, 4, descrip.; C.A.B., viii, April 1895, 53)
COMPETITIONS
KINGSTON, ONT., Victoria Public School, Union Street at Frontenac Street, 1892. Gillen & Gillen were one of 4 local architects who submitted plans and a fee proposal for this commission, but they failed to obtain any votes from the Board of Education committee. William Newlands received 9 votes, and was awarded the contract (Kingston Daily News, 8 April 1892, 4)