FINGLAND, William (1862-1946) a leading architect in Winnipeg, Man. who was among the first designers in that city to adapt the Beaux-Arts classical style to high rise construction. Born in Rockton, Ontario on 5 August 1862, he moved to Winnipeg in the spring of 1884 and remained there until late 1885. He then returned to Ontario, and trained in several offices in Hamilton, Ont. from 1886 to 1890. Later that same year he relocated to Toronto and enrolled in the School of Practical Science at the Univ. of Toronto where he graduated in 1893. The following year, he moved to the United States, taking up residence in Baltimore, Maryland, and forming a joint cross-border partnership with James A. Ellis of Toronto. Their firm, called “Ellis & Fingland, Baltimore, Md.” is credited with the design of the Collegiate Institute at Toronto Junction, as published in the New York journal entitled Architecture & Building [NewYork], xxi, 18 Aug. 1894, plate illus. The connection to Ellis may have originated from his work as a draftsman under Ellis, during the period when Fingland was living and studying in Toronto in 1890-93. It is likely that Ellis handled the commissions from Ontario clients, with Fingland carrying out work in the Baltimore area. Their collaboration was brief, and by early 1895 Fingland had moved to New York City. There, he opened an office under his own name in 1895, and was later in partnership with a “Mr. Sawers“, as Sawers & Fingland, Architects, 1899 (D.S. Francis, Architects in Practice New York City 1840-1900, 1979, 67).
In 1905 Fingland returned to Canada and opened an office in Winnipeg. He explored new innovations in the use of terra cotta cladding and non-load bearing wall construction, and appears to have obtained much of his design inspiration from the ‘Chicago School’ method of steel skeleton framing which permitted large plate glass window openings in commercial buildings. One his best known works was the Standard Trust Tower, Saskatoon, Sask. (1912; demol. 1970). Fingland was an active member of the Manitoba Association of Architects, and was elected President of the M.A.A. in 1913. His works can be found throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, and he continued to practise until after 1930. Fingland died in Winnipeg on 25 May 1946 (obit. Winnipeg Free Press, 28 May 1946, 19; biog. Who’s Who in Western Canada, 1911, 174, with port. Page 27; biog. and port. Who’s Who & Why in Canada, 1913, 240; biog. and port. F. Howard Schofield, The Story of Manitoba, Vol. iii, 1913, 180-81; biog. and list of works in Winnipeg Telegram, 18 Sept. 1906, 55)
WILLIAM FINGLAND (works in Winnipeg)
LAUREL COURT APARTMENTS, Osborne Street at Broadway, 1906 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 Dec. 1906, 55)
ROSLYN ROAD, large residence for Mrs. H.E. Crawford, 1907 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 20 April 1907, 5)
PUBLIC BATH HOUSE, Victoria Park, at the foot of Rupert Street, for Dr. Carscallen & Dr. J.J. White, 1908-09 (C.R., xxii, 7 Oct. 1908, 27; and 9 Dec., 1908, 28)
CRESCENTWOOD, residence for Frank E. Sprague, Academy Road, 1909 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 10 April 1909, 15)
CHARLES H. ENDERTON CO., Hargrave Street at Portage Avenue, commercial block, 1909 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 10 April 1909, 15; and 21 Aug. 1909, 6, illus. & descrip.; Const., iii, Dec. 1909, 67-8, illus. & descrip.)
BANK OF HAMILTON, NORWOOD BRANCH, Marion Street at Tache Street, 1910 (Winnipeg: Monuments to Finance, Vol. 2, 1982, 86-7, illus, 123; Winnipeg, 1986-The Year Past, 1988, 43-4, illus.)
CHAMBERS STREET, large factory, possibly for Canada Metal Co., or for John Watson Mfr. Co., 1911 (C.R., xxv, 19 April 1911, 58)
ROSEDALE APARTMENTS, Rosedale Avenue at Pembina Street, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 31 May 1911, 60)
MINNEWASKA COURT APARTMENTS, Spence Street, for Coaffie & Martin, 1912 (Winnipeg b.p. 3610, 1912)
HENRY HILTON & SONS, Erin Street, factory, 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 3 April 1912, 74)
AVENUE BLOCK, Portage Avenue, major addition, 1913 (Winnipeg b.p. 1333, 1913; and b.p. 2670, 1913)
BEVERLY BLOCK, Beverly Street at Notre Dame Avenue, stores and apartments for D.R. Woods, 1914 (Winnipeg b.p. 325, 1914)
LIPTON APARTMENT BLOCK, Lipton Street at Notre Dame Avenue, for the Argyle Land Co., 1914 (Winnipeg b.p. 2318, 1914)
CHARLES H. ENDERTON & CO., Portage Avenue at Young Street, retail store, 1914 (Winnipeg b.p. 2564, 1914)
THOMPSON & POPE BUILDING, Portage Avenue at Edmonton Street, for C.H. Enderton & Co., 1914 (Winnipeg b.p. 2565, 1914; Winnipeg, 1982 - The Year Past, 41, illus.)
F.S. NEWMAN CO., McPhillips Street, wholesale warehouse, 1915 (Winnipeg b.p. 1093, 1915)
R.A. LISTER & CO., Wall Street at Portage Avenue, assembly plant, 1916-17 (C.R., xxx, 6 Dec., 1916, 46)
RIVER & OSBORNE GARAGE CO., River Avenue, for William E. Norman, 1919 (Winnipeg b.p. 870, 1919)
C.H. ENDERTON & CO., stores and offices, 1922 (C.R., xxxvi, 9 Aug. 1922, 50-51)
BRADBURN BLOCK, Portage Avenue at Kennedy Street, 1922 (Winnipeg b.p. 2064, 1922)
GREATER WINNIPEG WATER DISTRICT STATION, Plinguet Street, 1927 (Winnipeg, 1994-1996 - The Year Past, 1999, 53-4, illus.)
GENERAL WOLFE PUBLIC SCHOOL, Ellice Avenue at Banning Street, 1928-29 (R.A.I.C. Journal, vii, Jan. 1930, xxiv, illus. in advert.)
McPHILLIPS STREET PUMPING STATION, 1930 (Tim Morawetz, Art Deco Architecture Across Canada, 2017, 130, illus. & descrip.)
FIRE HALL, Smith Street, 1931-32 (R.A.I.C. Journal, viii, Sept. 1931, 345; C.R., xlv, 28 Oct. 1931, 52; and xlvi, 27 Jan. 1932).
WILLIAM FINGLAND (works in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta)
CARMAN, MAN., Methodist Church, 1st Street SW at 3rd Avenue SW, 1906, still standing in 2024 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 18 Aug. 1906, 11, illus.; C.R., xvii, 29 Aug. 1906, 6; Neil Bingham, A Study of the Church Buildings in Manitoba, 1987, 82, illus.)
STONEWALL, MAN., Bank of Hamilton, Main Street, 1906 (biog and list of works in Winnipeg Telegram, 18 Sept. 1906, 55)
SELKIRK, MAN., Central School, “..to replace the school recently destroyed by fire”, 1907 (C.R., xviii, 17 April 1907, 2; and 1 May 1907, 4, t.c.)
(with Percy Nobbs, Montreal) EDMONTON, ALTA., Parliament Building, consultant and adviser to A.M. Jeffers, on the formulation of plans for the new Parliament Building, 1907-08 (C.R., xviii, 28 Aug. 1907, 2; Const., i, Oct. 1907, 64; and iii, Dec. 1909, 104-05)
SELKIRK, MAN., General Hospital, 1907 (C.R., xviii, 20 March 1907, 2; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 18 May 1907, 27)
SELKIRK, MAN., Public Library, 1908 (C.R., xxii, 15 July 1908, 26, t.c.; and 14 Oct. 1908, 27)
KEEWATIN, ONT., major addition to the public school, 1909 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 10 April 1909, 15; C.R., xxiii, 5 May 1909, 19, t.c.)
VIRDEN, MAN., General Hospital, 1909 (C.R., xxiii, 14 July 1909, 21; and 4 Aug. 1909, 21)
SWAN LAKE, MAN., Bank of Hamilton, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 6 April 1910, 29, t.c.)
ROLAND, MAN., Bank of Hamilton, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 6 April 1910, 29, t.c.)
NORWOOD, MAN., Bank of Hamilton, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 25 May 1910, 32)
MELFORT, SASK., Bank of Hamilton, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 25 May 1910, 29)
BRANDON, MAN., Codville Co., Pacific Avenue at 11th Street, large warehouse with offices, 1910 (MPA, Record Book of Brandon Building Permits, 31 May 1910, b.p. No. 1388)
SASKATOON, SASK., J.W. MacMillan Department Store, 3rd Ave. South at 23rd Street East, 1911-12 (Winnipeg Telegram, 10 Aug. 1912, 9, illus. & descrip.; Saskatoon Daily Star, 28 Oct. 1912, 2, illus. & descrip., and p. 25, descrip.; Saturday Press [Saskatoon], 1913, Progress & Development Special Number, 4th Section, illus.)
SASKATOON, SASK. Tees & Persse Warehouse, 1st Avenue North at 24th Street East, 1911 (Daily Phoenix [Saskatoon], 26 July 1911, 4)
SASKATOON, SASK., McLaughlin Carriage Co., 1st Avenue North near 24th Street, garage and warehouse, 1911-12 (C.R., xxv, 8 Nov. 1911, 64; Saskatoon Daily Star, 28 Oct. 1912, 27, descrip.; Saskatoon Phoenix Harvest Number, Dec. 1912, 3, illus.)
SASKATOON, SASK., Willoughby - Sumner Building, 21st Street East, 1912 (Saskatoon Phoenix, Harvest Number, December 1912, 2 & 3, illus.)
(with Robert S. Byers) SASKATOON, SASK., Standard Trusts Building, 3rd Avenue North at 22nd Street, 1912; demol. c. 1970 (Saturday Press [Saskatoon], Progress & Development Number, 1913, 4th Section, 1, descrip.; Western Architect [Minneapolis], xix, Dec. 1913, 26, illus.)
WINNIPEG, MAN., residence for E.A. Fisher, 1912 (Western Architect [Minneapolis], xix, Dec. 1913, 26, illus.)
SASKATOON, SASK., YMCA Young Men’s Christian Association, Spadina Crescent East, 1912 (Saskatoon Phoenix, Harvest Number, December 1912, 3, illus. & descrip.)
BRANDON, MAN., Brandon Telephone Building, Ninth Street, 1916 (Brandon: An Architectural Walking Tour, 1982, illus.)
YOUNGSTOWN, ALTA., Bank of Toronto, 1916 (dwgs. At Canadian Architectural Archives, Univ. of Calgary, Acc. 37A 7825)
CARMAN, MAN., Town Hall, 1919-20 (Dufferin Leader [Carman], 10 July 1919, 4; 27 May 1920, 1; Parks Canada, Town Halls of Canada, 1987, 304, 306 ff, illus.)
COMPETITIONS
WINNIPEG, MAN., Winnipeg Grain Exchange Building, Lombard Avenue at Rorie Street, 1906. Fingland was one of thirteen architects from Canada and the United States who submitted a design for the new Grain Exchange (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 30 May 1906, 8). The winner was Darling & Pearson of Toronto.