KELLY, James (1851- c. 1912 ) of Nanaimo, B.C. is listed variously as a miner, contractor, and, from 1893 until 1912, as an architect. Born in the United States on 13 December 1851 he emigrated to Canada in 1882. He obtained many commissions and was able to sustain his architectural practice in Nanaimo until 1905 when he moved to Vancouver to continue his career. No references can be found to his work after 1912 (D. Luxton, Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 471, 508)
(works in Nanaimo)
VICTORIA ROAD, residence for H. Thompson, 1891 (Nanaimo Free Press, 3 July 1891, 1, t.c.)
SELBY STREET, residence for J.S. Knarston, 1891 (Nanaimo Free Press, 23 July 1891, 2, t.c.)
QUEEN'S ROAD, residence for James Leister, 1891 (Nanaimo Free Press, 31 July 1891, 1, t.c.)
HOTEL WILSON, Chapel Street near Church Street, a 3 storey hotel for Walter Wilson, 1891-92 (Nanaimo Free Press, 21 Sept. 1891, 1, t.c.; and 4 May 1892, 4, descrip.; and 18 June 1892, 4, descrip.; Victoria Daily Times, 30 May 1892, 8, detailed descrip.)
CHURCH STREET, at Commercial Street, a new hotel for John Mahrer, to be erected as an extension to the Opera House, enlarging the auditorium, and adding 46 new hotel rooms, with frontage on Church Street, 1891 (Nanaimo Free Press, 26 Sept. 1891, 4, descrip.)
SOUTH WARD PUBLIC SCHOOL, 1892 (Nanaimo Free Press, 3 May 1892, 2, t.c.)
DAVISON BLOCK, Victoria Crescent, "..next to the McAdie Block", for John H. Davison, 1892 (Nanaimo Free Press, 4 May 1892, 4, descrip.)
MILFORD STREET, at Robert Street, residence for Marshall Bray, 1892 (Nanaimo Free Press, 4 May 1892, 4)
NEWCASTLE TOWNSITE, two houses for Walter Van Houten, 1892 (Nanaimo Free Press, 4 May 1892, 4)
NEWCASTLE TOWNSITE, residence for A.D. Williams, 1892 (Nanaimo Free Press, 4 May 1892, 4)
NEWCASTLE TOWNSITE, residence for F.W. Whiteside, Stewart Avenue, 1892 (Nanaimo Free Press, 4 May 1892, 4)
NEEDHAM STREET PRESBYTERIAN MISSION CHURCH, "...in the south-east end of the city", 1892 (Nanaimo Free Press, 11 July 1892, 4; 14 July 1892, 1, descrip.)
B.C. LAND & INVESTMENT AGENCY, new public offices within the Green Block, including furniture, fixtures, fittings, and staff offices, 1892 (Victoria Daily Times, 9 Sept. 1892, 8; Nanaimo Free Press, 14 Nov. 1892, 4, descrip.)
OPERA HOUSE, major addition to existing Hall for John Mahrer, incorporating the adjacent furniture store owned by J.J. Sehl, 1893 (Nanaimo Free Press, 7 March 1893, 4, descrip.)
NEWCASTLE TOWNSITE, a tract of 20 detached houses on Block 24, Pythian Avenue, 1893 (Nanaimo Free Press, 13 Sept. 1893, 1, t.c.; 14 Sept. 1893, 3, news item)
VICTORIA ROAD, residence for W.J. Pollard, 1893 (Nanaimo Free Press, 31 Oct. 1893, 2, t.c.)
WALLACE STREET, residence for Andrew Haslam, 1893; burned 1977 (inf. from Canadian Inventory of Historic Building, Manuscript Report 354, 557-63)
FREE PRESS BLOCK, Chapel Street, 1893; altered 1956 (C.R., iv, 13 April 1893, 2)
GIBSON BLOCK, Commercial Street, a three storey brick commercial block for Richard Gibson, 1893 (Nanaimo Free Press, 8 April 1893, 1, descrip.)
NANAIMO JAIL, and Residence for the Governor of the Jail, in the Newcastle Townsite, 1893 (Nanaimo Free Press, 8 June 1893, 1, descrip.; and 26 June 1893, 1, descrip.; and 23 Sept. 1893, 4; Victoria Daily Times, 27 June 1893, 1; B.C., Sessional Papers, 1894-95, Public Accounts, 88)
NEWCASTLE TOWNSITE, residence for Daniel Dailey, Lot 55, Block IX, Stewart Street, 1894 (Nanaimo Free Press, 2 April 1894, 2, t.c.)
PRIDEAUX STREET, residence for William Marshall, Lot 8, Block XX, 1894 (Nanaimo Free Press, 16 Oct. 1894, 1, t.c.)
KENNEDY STREET, residence for John Scouse, Lot C 17, Block H, 1895 (Nanaimo Free Press, 13 April 1895, 1, t.c.)
WOLFE BLOCK, Commercial Street at Bastion Street, 1895 (Nanaimo Free Press, 13 May 1895, 4, descrip.)
CITY HOSPITAL, Women's Jubilee Ward, 1897; and major alterations to hospital, 1900 (Nanaimo Free Press, 19 June 1897, 1, descrip.; C.R., viii, 22 April 1897, 1; xi, 25 April 1900, 2, t.c.)
DUNSMUIR STREET, two residences for Henry Reifel, 1899 (Nanaimo Free Press, 21 Aug. 1899, 1, t.c.)
UNION BREWERY, Dunsmuir Street, major addition, 1899, with another addition, 1901 (Nanaimo Free Press, 21 Aug. 1899, 1, t.c.; C.R., xii, 20 Feb. 1901, 2, t.c.)
BANK OF COMMERCE, Church Street at Chapel Street, 1901; demol. 1913 (inf. from Canadian Inventory of Historic Building, Manuscript Report No. 354, p. 566)
PRIDEAUX STREET, large residence for Robert Grant, 1901 (Nanaimo Free Press, 24 June 1901, 4, descrip.)
HEMANS & WALMSLEY MEAT MARKET, Commercial Street, a two storey retail block for the owner F. Rogers, 1901 (Nanaimo Free Press, 27 July 1901, 2)
NANAIMO AGRICULTURAL EXHIBITION, a new Exhibition Hall at the fairgrounds, 1904 (Nanaimo Free Press, 26 March 1904, 4, descrip.)
(work elsewhere)
WELLINGTON, B.C., a three storey hotel for the New Improvement & Investment Co., 1893-94 (Nanaimo Free Press, 16 Nov. 1893, 4, descrip.)
WELLINGTON, B.C., commercial block for The Advocate newspaper, 1893-94 (Nanaimo Free Press, 16 Nov. 1893, 4, descrip.; C.R., iv, 30 Nov. 1893, 2)
WELLINGTON, B.C., a three storey commercial block for A.J. McMurtrie, 1894 (Nanaimo Free Press, 24 Aug. 1894, 4, t.c.)
LADYSMITH, B.C., hotel for William Beveridge, 1900 (Nanaimo Free Press, 17 Aug. 1900, 3, t.c.)
LADYSMITH, B.C., Opera House and Hall, 1903 (Nanaimo Free Press, 15 Sept. 1903, 4, t.c.)
NANAIMO, B.C., Nanaimo Agricultural Exhibition, a new Exhibition Hall at the fairgrounds, 1904 (Nanaimo Free Press, 26 March 1904, 4, descrip.)
LADYSMITH, B.C., a brick commercial block for George Williams ".....opposite the Bank of Commerce", 1904 (Nanaimo Free Press, 9 April 1904, 4, t.c.)
LADYSMITH, B.C., Union Brewery Co., additions to brewery, 1904 (Nanaimo Free Press, 29 April 1904, 1, t.c.)