SYME, James (1832-1881), active in New Westminster, B.C. and in Victoria, B.C. where he is credited with the design of several institutional, ecclesiastical and residential works, usually in a Gothic Revival or Italianate style. Born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1832, he moved the United States after 1855 and was recorded as living and working in San Francisco in 1859-62. By 1865 he had relocated to New Westminster, B.C. and he was credited with the elaborate plaster mouldings and plaster casts decorating the ceiling in the substantial residence of Capt. William Irving. He may also have been responsible for the design of the entire house, described as ‘costing $10,000’, and executed in the Italianate style. The following year he became one of the first entrepreneurs to open a salmon canning operation on the Lower Mainland. The recession of 1869 forced Syme to return to San Francisco, where he was recorded as an “artist with Samuel M. Brookes” (1816-1892), a prominent California portrait and still-life painter.
By 1874 Syme had returned to British Columbia, settling at Victoria, where his name can be linked to nearly a dozen projects in that city, and in Nanaimo. He was also active as an artist, and local papers record the exhibition of many of his oil paintings. He died on 19 April 1881 after an illness lasting five months, at the age 49 years (obit Daily Colonist [Victoria], 20 April 1881, 3, with tribute 21 April 1881, 2; Daily Standard [Victoria], 20 April 1881, 3; biog. Daily Colonist [Victoria], 19 April 1964, 3 and 5; Dictionary of Canadian Biography, xi, 1982, 866-67; Donald Luxton, Building The West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 54-5, illus.; 519-20, list of works)
(works in Victoria unless noted)
NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C., residence for Capt. William Irving, Royal Avenue, 1865 (British Columbian [New Westminster], 25 April 1865, 3, descrip.; Heritage Canada, Heritage West, vii, No. 4, Winter 1983, 20-22, illus. & descrip.)
ST. JOSEPH’S HOSPITAL, Collinson Street at Humboldt Street, 1875; demol. 1949 (Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 11 July 1875, 2, descrip.; 22 Aug. 1875, 3, descrip.)
GARESCHE, GREEN & CO. BANK, new façade and improvements to the bank for F. Garesche, Government Street, 1875 (Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 13 July 1875, 3)
PANDORA STREET, at Vancouver Street, residence for James Pollock, 1876 (Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 25 June 1876, 3, descrip.)
DALLAS ROAD, at Montreal Street, residence for Thomas Charles, 1876 (Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 14 July 1876, 2, descrip.)
SIMCOE STREET, near Menzies Street, residence for John Graham, 1876; demol. (Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 14 July 1876, 2, descrip.)
PANDORA STREET, near Blanchard Street, residence for John Begg, 1876 (Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 14 July 1876, 2, descrip.)
BELLEVILLE STREET, at Oswego Street, residence for Alexander Blair Gray, 1877 (M. Seggger & D. Franklin, Exploring Victoria’s Architecture, 1996, 144-5, illus.; This Old House: Victoria’s Heritage Neighbourhoods, Vol. Two - James Bay, 2005, 39-40, illus.)
NANAIMO, B.C., St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, Wallace Street near Fitzwilliam Street, 1877; burned 1910 (Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 10 July 1877, 3, descrip.)
NANAIMO, B.C., a large hotel for an unnamed client, 1877 (Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 22 Aug. 1877, 3)
NANAIMO, B.C., Odd Fellows Hall, for the Black Diamond Lodge, Commercial Street, 1879 (Nanaimo Free Press, 22 March 1879, 3)
COMPETITIONS
VICTORIA, B.C., Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, 1871. James Syme was one of five architects invited to submit a design for this project, including 4 architects from Victoria, and a design from the leading British architect Benjamin Ferrey (1810-1880), of London, England. John Teague was awarded First Premium for his proposal (Victoria Daily Standard, 22 April 1871, 3). However, his scheme was later shelved, and the following year a new design by H.O. Tiedemann was accepted in January 1872 and completed by October of that year.
VICTORIA, B.C., Town Hall, 1875. Syme was among several architects who competed for this important commission, but once again John Teague was selected as the winner, with Second Prize being awarded to Syme. A detailed description of the proposal by Syme, as well as the other entries, appeared in the Daily British Colonist [Victoria], 4 Nov. 1875, 3.