FAWCETT, Robert William (1859-1920), son of John Fawcett of Lambton County, Ont. was active in Sarnia, Ont. for more than twenty years. Born in Scarborough Township, York County on 23 June 1859, he was trained in the building trades in Toronto, and worked as a carpenter and builder in Toronto from 1889 until 1894 when he moved to Forest, Ont. and opened an office there as an architect. By 1896 he had moved to Petrolia, Ont. (Petrolia Advertiser, 12 March 1896, 1). In 1897 he had moved once again, this time to Sarnia, where his principal office was located, and he continued to operate a branch office in Petrolia (Sarnia Observer, 26 Nov. 1897, 3; C.A.B., x, Dec. 1897, 227). He remained there for the rest of his career, preparing designs for churches, schools, commercial and industrial buildings, and for private residences in Sarnia and in several surrounding towns in Lambton County. One of the largest commissions which he completed was that for Devine Street Methodist Church (1900; demol. 1983), an accomplished design in the Romanesque Revival style. No works have been recorded by Fawcett after 1919. He died in Sarnia on 15 February 1920 (obit. Sarnia Observer, 16 Feb. 1920, 5; 19 Feb. 1920). His successor was A.J. Carter of Sarnia (Sarnia Canadian Observer, 24 Feb. 1920, 6; inf. Ian Mason, Brigden, Ont.).
Robert W. FAWCETT (works in Sarnia)
ROSSIN HOUSE HOTEL, rebuilding of the hotel block, 1898 (C.R., ix, 12 Oct. 1898, 3)
unnamed street, pair of semi-detached houses for W. Govenlock and A. Gammon, 1900 (C.R., xi, 7 Feb. 1900, 2)
unnamed street, residence for B. Tapp, 1900 (C.R., xi, 14 Feb. 1900, 2, t.c.)
DEVINE STREET METHODIST CHURCH, Devine Street, at John Street, 1900; demol. 1983 (C.R., xi, 23 May 1900, 1, t.c.; Highlights Through The Years - Devine Street United Church 1875-1958, illus.)
WEST FRONT STREET, building for William C. Dillon, 1901 (C.R., xii, 16 Oct. 1901, 1)
CENTRAL BAPTIST CHURCH, Vidal Street at Lochiel Street, remodeling of the church, 1902; damaged by tornado May 1953; later demol. (Sarnia Daily Observer, 14 June 1902, 2)
THOMAS DOHERTY & CO., Wellington Street near Vidal Street, a new Main Building, with warehouse, foundry, machine shops, and additions to existing industrial complex, 1902; demol. c. 1980 (C.R., xiii, 5 March 1902, 2)
SARNIA GAS & ELECTRIC LIGHT CO., ONT., office and retail store, 1902 (C.R., xiii, 14 May 1902, 2, t.c.)
LONDON ROAD, residence for J.R. Geddes, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 11 March 1903, 2)
unnamed street, alterations and remodelling of residence for Rev. H.C.Speller, 1904 (Sarnia Daily Observer, 11 May 1904, 5)
OUR LADY OF MERCY ROMAN CATHOLIC CONVENT, London Road near Christina Street North, adjacent to the Roman Catholic church, 1905; demol. (London Free Press, 18 Sept. 1905, 6; C.R., xvi, 27 Sept. 1905, 6)
KING MILLING CO., addition, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 13 June 1906, 4)
ARLINGTON HOTEL, addition, 1906 (C.R., xvii, 13 June 1906, 4)
unnamed street, residence for Mr. Farr, 1907-08 (Sarnia Daily Observer, 6 Dec., 1907, 6)
SARNIA CURLING RINK, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 21 June 1911, 58, t.c.)
ST. ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, Christina Street North, addition and remodeling of the Sunday School at the church, 1914 (copy of Specifications held in the Church Archives; inf. Ian Mason, Sarnia)
DEVINE STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL, remodeling, 1914 (Sarnia Daily Observer, 20 April 1914, 5)
MERCHANT’S BANK, Front Street at Ferry Dock Hill, 1914; demol. 1977-78 (Sarnia Weekly Observer, 24 April 1914, 2; inf. Ian Mason, Sarnia)
LOCHIEL STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL, 1914 (Sarnia Weekly Observer, 24 April 1914, 2)
CONFEDERATION STREET PUBLIC SCHOOL, large addition of two classrooms, 1917 (Port Huron Times-Herald [Port Huron, Mich.], 16 July 1917, 4)
IMPERIAL PUBLIC SCHOOL, Chippewa Street at Shamrock Street, 1919-20; building relocated to new site in 1946 on Mack Avenue, and used as Mack Avenue Baptist Church (Lawrence A. Critch, The Way It Was: The History of the Sarnia Public Elementary Schools, 1986, 56-57; inf. Ian Mason, Sarnia)
Robert W. FAWCETT (works elsewhere)
PETROLIA, ONT. rectory for the Anglican Church, 1896 (C. Whipp & E. Phelps, Petrolia 1866-1966, 1966, 37)
PETROLIA, ONT., residence for Frank Reilley, Queen Street, 1897 (Daily Advertiser [London], 20 Aug. 1897, 5)
TIVERTON, ONT., Knox Presbyterian Church, 1899-1900 (C.R., x, 25 Oct. 1899, 1; 1 Nov. 1899, 2; Souvenir of the Jubilee of Knox Church Tiverton 1859-1909, illus.)
MEDICINE HAT, ALTA., Methodist Church, 1900 (Forest Standard [Forest, Ont.], 1 March 1900, 5; C.R., xi, 29 Aug. 1900, 2)
WALLACEBURG, ONT., Town Hall, Fire Hall and Public Library Building, 1901; demol. (C.R., xii, 24 April 1901, 2)
FOREST, ONT., extensive alterations to James Maylor & Sons department store, 1906 (C.R., xvi, 31 Jan. 1906, 2)
FOREST, ONT., a 6 room public school, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 19 April 1911, 56, t.c.)
THEDFORD, ONT., public school, 1913 (Sarnia Observer, 15 Feb. 1913, 5; Watford Guide-Advocate, 21 Feb. 1913, 4)
FOREST, ONT., parsonage for the Methodist Church, James Street at Wellington Street, 1913 (Forest Standard, 3 April 1913, 4, descrip.)
POINT EDWARD, ONT., Fire Hall, 1915 (Sarnia Weekly Observer, 14 May 1915, 5)