KEARNS, Norman Andrew (1883-1977), active in Vancouver, B.C. in 1911-12, and later in the Niagara Peninsula region of southern Ontario from 1919 until after 1950. Kearns was born at Finch, Ont. (near Cornwall) on 12 July 1883 and his family later moved to Winnipeg, Man. where Kearns attended public and high schools. He served his apprenticeship with W. Nicholson Lailey in Brandon, Man. (in 1904-05), and later worked as a draftsman in the office of James Chisholm in Winnipeg (in 1906), and with Walter LaChance in Saskatoon (in 1909-11). He moved in British Columbia and opened an office in North Vancouver in March 1911, but only two of his designs, both located in North Vancouver, have been identified. He closed his office in March 1912, and in 1913 he was working as an assistant to William C. F. Gillam, a talented British architect who had moved to Vancouver the previous year.
By October 1919 Kearns had settled in Welland, Ontario where he opened a new office, and he continued to practise there for the next 45 years. His best known works there include the Beaux-Arts design for the Carnegie Library, Welland (1923; still standing 2017), and the restrained Art Deco design for the Post Office Building, Thorold (1935; still standing 2017). He specialized in the design of educational buildings, and he was credited with more than twenty public and high schools throughout the Niagara Peninsula area. He remained active in the profession until 1970, and finally retired in 1973. Kearns died in Welland on 11 April 1977 at the age of 94 years (obit. and list of works, Welland Tribune, 13 April 1977, 1; biog. and list of works, Welland Tribune, 6 Oct. 1973, 4; biog. and port. in Albert E. Coombs, History of the Niagara Peninsula and the New Welland Canal, 1930, p. 344; inf. Ontario Assoc. of Architects).
(works in British Columbia)
NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C., residence for V.W. Jones, West 16th Street near Jones Avenue, 1911 (The Express [North Vancouver], 8 August. 1911, 1; City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory, 1994, 118, illus.)
NORTH VANCOUVER, B.C., residence for James C. Gill, Grand Boulevard West at 16th Street East, 1911-12 (The Express [North Vancouver], 29 Sept. 1911, 8; H. Kalman, Exploring Vancouver, 1993, 228, illus.; City of North Vancouver Heritage Inventory, 1994, 34, illus.)
(works in Ontario)
COYLE STATION, ONT., residence for Cromwell Gonder, 1919; burned c. 1927 (Albert E. Coombs, History of the Niagara Peninsula, 1930, biography and list of works by Kearns)
RIDGEWAY, ONT. Public market building, Market Square, south of Division Street, 1919 (Albert E. Coombs, History of the Niagara Peninsula, 1930, biography and list of works by Kearns)
LAKEFIELD, ONT., Town Hall, Bridge Street, 1919-20 (Parks Canada, Town Halls of Canada, 1987, 289)
WELLAND, ONT., private hospital and medical clinic for Dr. W. K. Colbeck, Division Street, ".....beside the Bell Telephone Exchange building", 1921; addition, 1925 (Welland Tribune, 21 June 1921, illus. & desecrip.; C.R., xxxix, 16 Sept. 1925, 65)
WELLAND, ONT., Carnegie Library, King Street at Young Street, 1923 (St. Catharines Standard, 18 Sept. 1923, 6, detailed architectural descrip.; Welland Tribune & Telegraph, 17 June 1924, 10; M. Beckman, The Best Gift, 1984, 143, 185)
WELLAND, ONT., Gram Brothers Ltd., East Main Street at Burgar Street, a two storey auto showroom and service station, 1924 (St. Catharines Standard, 17 Nov. 1923, 3; Welland Tribune & Telegraph, Centenary Issue, 17 June 1924, 20, illus. & descrip.; and 21 March 1929, illus.)
PORT COLBORNE, ONT., a large hotel for an unnamed client, 1924-25 (St. Catharines Standard, 3 March 1923, 13; C.R., xxxviii, 5 Nov. 1924, 53, t.c.)
WELLAND, ONT., Ross Public School, Niagara Street, 1926 (St. Catharines Standard, 15 June 1926, 5; dwgs. at South Niagara Board of Education Office)
FENWICK, ONT., Continuation School for S.S. No. 9, 1926 (St. Catharines Standard, 17 Sept. 1926, 5)
WELLAND, ONT., Vocational High School, Main Street West, 1927-28; major addition, 1929 (C.R., xli, 21 Sept. 1927, 68; and xlii, 4 April 1928, 57, t.c.; dwgs. at South Niagara Board of Education Office)
(with J. Upper Collins) BRIDGEBURG, ONT., High School, Wintermute Street, 1927-28 (C.R., xli, 23 Feb. 1927, 114; and 15 June 1927, 52, t.c.; St. Catharines Standard, 7 Sept. 1928, 3)
WELLAND, ONT., major addition to First Street School, 1927 (St. Catharines Standard, 12 May 1927, 5; dwgs. at South Niagara Board of Education Office)
RIDGEWAY, ONT., St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Griffith Street at Kent Street, 1928; still standing in 2024 (St. Catharines Standard, 20 Feb. 1928, 5; Albert E. Coombs, History of the Niagara Peninsula, 1930, biography and list of works by Kearns)
RIDGEWAY, ONT., large residence for W.A. Winger, 1928 (St. Catharines Standard, 28 Aug. 1928, 5)
THOROLD TOWNSHIP, Fire Hall and Police Station, 1928 (St. Catharines Standard, 16 Aug. 1928, 15, descrip., and 28 Aug. 1928, 5; C.R., xlii, 29 Aug. 1928, 52)
(with J. Upper Collins) BRIDGEBURG, ONT., Knox Presbyterian Church, Central Avenue at Highland Avenue, 1928-29 (C.R., xlii, 7 Nov. 1928, 48, t.c.; and xliii, 28 Aug. 1929, 52)
PORT COLBORNE, ONT., a large hotel, Princess Street at King Street, 1929 (Canadian Hotel Review, vii, Jan. 1929, 21)
THOROLD, ONT., Post Office Building, for the Government of Canada, Front Street North at McArthur Lane, 1935 (Daily Commercial News [Toronto], 11 Feb. 1936, 4, illus.)
WELLAND, ONT., apartment block, Dorothy Street, for W.A. Gram, 1937-38 (C.R., vol. 50, 24 Nov. 1937, 30)
WELLAND, ONT., Welland Tribune Printing Co., offices and printing plant, 1946 (North Bay Daily Nugget, 27 April 1946, 7, illus. & detailed descrip.)
THOROLD TOWNSHIP, ONT., Home for the Aged, for the Welland County Council, 1949 (C.R., lxii, Jan. 1949, 188)
In addition, an extensive list of works by Kearns, built between 1919 and 1930, was published as part of a biography for N.A. Kearns, written by Albert E. Coombs in his book entitled History of the Niagara Peninsula and the New Welland Canal, 1930, p. 344. This list includes the following buildings
CROWLAND, ONT., Southworth School, c. 1925
CRYSTAL BEACH, ONT., Municipal Building, c. 1925
FENWICK, ONT., Continuation School for S.S. No. 9, 1926
FORT ERIE, ONT. Garrison Road Public School, c. 1925
HUMBERSTONE, ONT., public school, c. 1925
PORT BURWELL, ONT., public school, c. 1925
PORT COLBORNE, ONT., Hydro Electric Building, c. 1925
PORT COLBORNE, ONT., Rosary Hall, c. 1925
PORT COLBORNE, ONT., Prince George Theatre, c. 1925
PORT COLBORNE, ONT., J.R. Tuck Building, c. 1925
RIDGEWAY, ONT. Public market building, c. 1925
RIDGEWAY, ONT., Odd Fellows Hall, c. 1925
RIDGEWAY, ONT., The Goodwin Building, c. 1925
RIDGEWAY, ONT., The Gram Building, c. 1925
STEVENSVILLE, ONT., Continuation School, c. 1925
WELLAND, ONT. Quaker Road Public School, c. 1925
WELLAND, ONT., Fire Station No. 2, c. 1925