KENWAY, Balston Cooper (1844-1909), active in Canada and United States for nearly 40 years, and he was recorded in the following offices:
B.C. Kenway, Saint John, N.B. 1871-1872
B.C. Kenway, Minneapolis, Minn, 1875 - May 1877
Kenway & Wirth, Minneapolis, Minn., June 1877 - Aug. 1877 (with George Wirth)
B.C. Kenway, Winnipeg, Man., 1878 - February 1881
Kenway & McNicol, Winnipeg, Man., March 1881- June 1881 (with Robert McNicol)
B.C. Kenway, Winnipeg, Man., 1882-1886
B.C. Kenway, DPW Architect, Lethbridge, Alta. 1887 - Sept. 1888
B.C. Kenway, Calgary, Alta., Oct 1888 - March 1889
B.C. Kenway, Vancouver, B.C. April 1889 -1890
B.C. Kenway, Spokane, Wash., Oct. 1890 - Feb. 1891
Kenway & Wilson, Tacoma, Wash. Feb. 1891-1893 (with Francis Wilson)
Kenway & Burke, Tacoma, Wash. 1895-98
Clark & Kenway, Seattle, Wash., 1903-04 (with E.O. Clark)
B.C. Kenway, Tacoma, Wash. 1904-1909
Kenway was born in Neath, Wales in May 1844 and emigrated to the United States in 1868. He began his career in Canada as a civil engineer in 1871, but within a year he was '....induced to practise as an architect', stating that he possessed '...over 12 years of experience in the science of Engineering, embracing practise in Europe, Asia and Africa' (Saint John Daily Telegraph, 2 May 1871, 3; and 30 May 1872, 2, advert.). He moved back to the United States in 1875 and opened an architectural office at Minneapolis, Minn. His practise there was a successful one, and his commissions included a lavish mansion for the State Governor John S. Pillsbury, as well as several large commercial blocks on Nicollet Street, many of which are still standing as of 2017. While there, he was briefly in partnership with George Wirth, as Kenway & Wirth, Architects, but their collaboration ended after only three months (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 2 June 1877, 4; and 23 Aug. 1877, 4).
In early 1878 he moved to Winnipeg and succeeded in obtaining many commissions both for himself and together in partnership with Robert McNicol. His talents as a designer, however, were called into question by his former draftsman, Charles W.H. Sansom, who claimed that Kenway had the audacity to make untruthful statements regarding the authorship of the designs for the residential mansions of Charles Brydges and James A. Graham (see Letters to the Editor in the Winnipeg Daily Times, 5 Nov. 1881, 1; and 7 Nov. 1881, l; and 8 Nov. 1881, 4; and 9 Nov. 1881, 4). In 1880 Kenway visited Montreal and hand-picked a young architect there, John A. Radford, to be his principal assistant in his Winnipeg office (Montreal Star, 30 March 1880, 2).
Kenway worked variously as an architect, contractor and lumber dealer from 1882 until 1888; his office in Winnipeg suffered major damage during a fire in 1886 and he lost drawings which he had accumulated during the previous fifteen years (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 28 April 1886, 4). This may have prompted his departure from the city and he left Winnipeg to take a position as a supervising architect with the federal Dept. of Public Works at Lethbridge, Alta. (Morning Call [Winnipeg], 24 Sept. 1887, 4). He left his position with the DPW in October 1888 and opened an office Calgary under his own name (Weekly Albertan (Calgary), 3 Oct. 1888, 1). By April 1889 he had relocated in Vancouver where he held the post of supervising architect for the Provincial government, but by 1890 he had moved again, this time to Washington State where he became superintendent of buildings for the Northern Pacific Railway. That posting was brief, and in late 1890 he moved to Spokane Falls (Spokane Falls Review, 11 Nov. 1890, 5), and then to Tacoma, Washington where he was partner in the new firm of Kenway & Wilson (with Francis Wilson), Architects (Daily Ledger [Tacoma], 21 Feb. 1891, 6, advert.). Within a few years, he was recorded in yet another partnership there, as Kenway & Burke, Architects.
In 1899 he moved to Seattle where he was appointed manager of the Washington Acetelyne Gas Lighting Co. and later took a position with the Dept. of Timber Land & Mines. He became a partner with E.O. Clark in Seattle in 1903. The office of Clark & Kenway was dissolved within a year and Kenway returned to Tacoma to continue his career until his death there on 6 November 1909 (obituary in the Daily Ledger [Tacoma], 7 Nov. 1909, 4; D. Luxton, Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 471, 508; inf. from Randy Rostecki, Winnipeg; inf. K. R. Turner, Seattle Public Library; inf. F. Green, Washington State Historical Society)
B.C. KENWAY (works in New Brunswick)
SAINT JOHN, N.B., addition and extensive alterations to St. John's Anglican Church, also called 'The Stone Church', Carleton Street, 1871-72 (Saint John Daily Telegraph, 14 Feb. 1872, 2, descrip.; 19 Nov. 1872, 2)
SAINT JOHN, N.B., hotel for G.R. Price, King Square, 1872 (Saint John Daily News, 27 Nov. 1872, 3, descrip.)
B.C. KENWAY (works in Minneapolis, Minn.)
ANDREWS & HAYES STORE, Nicollet Avenue, 1876 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 17 July 1876, descrip.; 18 Sept. 1876, 4, descrip.; and 20 Oct. 1876, 4, descrip.)
EAST DIVISION, a mansion for State Governor John S. Pillsbury, 1876 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 18 Aug. 1876, 4, descrip.)
HENNEPIN AVENUE, at Third Street, two large brick stores, each 3 stories high, for Abraham D. Rockey, 1876 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 2 Sept. 1876, 1, descrip.)
HENNEPIN AVENUE, a three storey commercial block for Sanford S. Small, located "...next to the Nicollet House", 1876 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 28 Sept. 1876, 4, descrip.)
PILLSBURY BLOCK, Hennepin Avenue, 1876-77 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 6 Dec. 1876, 2)
ANDREWS BLOCK, on the site of the old Deshon livery stables, 1876-77 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 6 Dec. 1876, 2)
ACADEMY OF MUSIC, a large theatre block, 1876 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 9 Dec. 1876, 4, descrip.)
WASHINGTON AVENUE, between First Avenue and Second Avenue, a block for two wholesale stores for Sanford S. Small, 1877 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 17 Jan. 1877, 4, descrip.)
NICOLLET ISLAND, a row of eight houses on Grove Place for Hon. William W. Eastman, 1877 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 8 May 1877, 4, descrip.; 28 May 1877, 4, descrip.)
EAST DIVISION, addition of new chancel and extension to Holy Trinity Church, 1877 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 29 June 1877, 1, descrip.)
HARWOOD BLOCK, Nicollet Avenue, 1877 (The Tribune [Minneapolis], 27 Nov. 1877, 4)
B.C. KENWAY (works in Winnipeg unless noted)
(with Thomas H. Parr) KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Portage Avenue at Fort Street, 1878 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 21 May 1878, 1; and 9 Aug. 1878, 1 and 3, descrip.)
RADIGER'S BLOCK, Main Street near Bannatyne Avenue, 1878 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 20 Aug. 1878, 4, t.c.)
WEST LYNNE, MAN., Hudson's Bay Co., retail store and warehouse, 1879-80 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 21 Nov. 1879, 4, t.c.)
ST. BONIFACE, MAN., St. Boniface Roman Catholic College, Provencher Avenue, 1879-81; burned 1922 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 30 Oct. 1880, 1; C. Cameron & J. Wright, Second Empire Style in Canadian Architecture, 1980, 94-5, illus.)
MORRIS BLOCK, Main Street near Portage Avenue, for Alexander Morris, 1880; demol. 1975 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 19 Feb. 1880, 1, t.c.; 12 April 1881, 1)
HUDSON BAY CO. DEPARTMENT STORE, Main Street at York Avenue, 1880-81; demol. 1930 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 19 Feb. 1880, 1, t.c.; 12 April 1881, 1)
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MAN., commercial block for the Hudson's Bay Co., 1880 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 9 April 1880, 4, t.c.)
FORT STREET, at York Avenue, boarding house for the Hudson Bay Co., 1880 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 25 June 1880, 3)
HARGRAVE STREET, residence for J.S. Dennis, 1880 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 7 July 1880, 3; 30 Oct. 1880, 1)
OSBORNE STREET NORTH, near the bridge, residence for Frederick H. Brydges, 1880-81 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 25 June 1880, 1, t.c.; 12 April 1881, 1). Note - This house was extensively altered, with additions, by George C. Browne IN 1890.
ST. MARY'S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH, St. Mary's Avenue at Hargrave Street, 1880-81 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 30 Oct. 1880, 1; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 16 Aug. 1880, 1, descrip.; 5 Sept. 1881, 1)
DONALD STREET, residence for Dr. James Kerr, 1880 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 30 Oct. 1880, 1)
ST. MARY AVENUE, at Smith Street, pair of houses for Miss Gamble, 1880 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 30 Oct. 1880, 1)
DAGMAR STREET, double tenement for James A. Payne, 1880 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 30 Oct. 1880, 1)
BANK OF MONTREAL, Main Street , 1880-81 (Winnipeg Daily Times, 30 Oct. 1880, 1; Manitoba Daily Free Press [Winnipeg], 31 Dec. 1880, 1, descrip.; 12 April 1881, 1)
DONALD STREET, at Broadway, residence for C.J. Brydges, 1880-81; burned 1945 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 22 Nov. 1880, 1, t.c.; 12 April 1881, 1)
MANITOBA CLUB, Garry Street, 1881 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 1 March 1881, 4, t.c.)
KENWAY & McNICOL (works in Winnipeg)
SMITH STREET, Palace Stables, for A.J.D. Blyth, 1881 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 9 March 1881, 1, t.c.)
CARLETON STREET, residence for H.M. Howell, 1881 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 12 April 1881, 1)
GARRY STREET, at St. Mary Avenue, residence for Dr. J.S. Lynch, 1881 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 12 April 1881, 1)
SMITH STREET, residence for James A. Graham, 1881 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 12 April 1881, 1)
McMICKEN BLOCK, Main Street, 1881 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 12 April 1881, 1)
CANADIAN PACIFIC HOTEL, Main Street at Broadway, major addition, 1881; demol. (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 12 April 1881, 1)
CARLTON STREET, at York Avenue, terrace of ten houses for an unnamed client, 1881 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 18 June 1881, 1, t.c.)
B.C. KENWAY (works in Manitoba, Alberta, British Columbia and Washington State)
WINNIPEG, MAN., commercial block for Gerrie & Kennedy, McDermot Avenue at Princess Street, 1882 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 8 April 1882, 8)
LETHBRIDGE, ALTA., (as local supervising architect to Thomas Fuller, Ottawa), completion of the Royal North West Mounted Police Barracks, with new Quartermaster's Store and stables, and conversion of the present store into artizan's shops, 1887 (Manitoba Daily Free Press, 24 Sept. 1887, 4, descrip.)
VANCOUVER, B.C., residence for Charles Nelson, Bute Street at Melville Street, 1889 (Vancouver Daily World, 23 May 1889, 4, descrip.)
(with Thomas Hooper) VANCOUVER, B.C., Central School, Pender Street near Cambie Street, 1889 (Vancouver Daily World, 29 May 1889, 4, descrip.)
TACOMA, WASH., a five storey commercial block for David M. Hoffman, Pacific Avenue at South 12th Streeet, 1907 (Tacoma Daily News, 11 May 1907, 22, descrip.)
COMPETITIONS
TACOMA, WASH., First Methodist Church, 1891. The firm of Kenway & Wilson were one of six local architectural offices who were invited to submit designs for this project (Daily Ledger [Tacoma], 4 Sept. 1891, 3).
CHICAGO, ILL., The Washington State Pavilion, 1891. While living in Tacoma, Wash., Kenway was one of 21 architects who submitted a design in the competition for a State Pavilion for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 18 Nov. 1891, 8, descrip.; Tacoma News, 18 Nov. 1891, 8, descrip.). His scheme was described as " .....an octagonal structure, of stone and wood". The winner was Warren P. Skillings of Seattle. .