KENNEDY, James (1817-1902) sustained a career as an architect and builder in New Westminster, B.C. for nearly forty years. Born in Ballymena Co., Antrim, Ireland on 9 December 1817, he trained under a local architect in nearby Belfast and emigrated to the United States in 1839 where he was 'engaged in architectural work in Rochester, N.Y.'. He then travelled to Wisconsin, to Chicago and in the mid-1850's was recorded in Toronto and Whitby, Ont. 'where several buildings of his design are still standing'. He married Caroline Stone in Whitby in 1854, then moved to St. Paul, Minn. before finally deciding to relocate to the Pacific northwest. He arrived in New Westminster in the spring of 1859; his wife was recorded as the first white woman to reside in the town. By 1863 Kennedy was advertising his services and was 'prepared to make plans for all sorts of buildings, bridges, etc.' (British Columbian [New Westminster], 22 Aug. 1863, 2, advert.). He practised his profession consistently and for many years was the only architect who was resident and active in New Westminster. His name can be linked with many commercial and residential buildings erected there from 1870 to 1895, but most of these were destroyed in the fire of 1898. He also served as local supervising architect to Thomas Fuller for the Post Office (1883-84; burned 1898). Kennedy died in New Westminster on 23 November 1902 (obit. Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 24 Nov. 1902, 4; Province [Vancouver], 24 Nov. 1902, 1; obit. Vancouver Daily World, 25 Nov. 1902, 5; Colonist [Victoria], 25 Nov. 1902, 1; biog. and port. R.E. Gosnell, History of British Columbia, 1906, 429-31; E.O.S. Scholefield, British Columbia: From the Earliest Times to the Present, 1914, iii, 551-2; D. Luxton, Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 50-1, 508)
(works in New Westminster)
WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH, 1874 (Mainland Guardian [New Westminster], 1 Aug. 1874, 3)
COLONIAL HOTEL, Columbia Street, a new hotel for P. Arnaud, on the site of the old Colonial Hotel, 1875-76 (Mainland Guardian [New Westminster], 3 Nov. 1875, 2, t.c.)
WEBSTER'S BLOCK, Front Street, 1887 (Daily British Columbian [New Westminster], 19 Dec. 1887, 4, descrip.)
POWELL BLOCK, fronting on both Columbia Street and Lytton Square, for Dr. Powell, 1889 (Daily British Columbian [New Westminster], 10 July 1889, 4, t.c.; 25 Sept. 1889, 4; Vancouver Daily World, 31 Dec. 1889, 6, descrip.)