DOW, John Kennedy (1861-1961), an architect active in Spokane, Washington where his best-known work is the 11-storey Paulsen Office Building (1908-11), one of the tallest buildings in the city at that time. This landmark was visited by Kenneth A. McLeod of Edmonton, Alberta who asked John Dow if he would design a similar “skyscraper” block for his home town of Edmonton, Alberta. The result was the McLeod Building, a distinctive 9-storey commercial block which held the record as the tallest building in Edmonton for nearly 40 years. Completed in 1912-14, it is now considered as a notable example of Chicago School style of architecture in Canada, with its tripartite massing of retail base, terra-cotta facade, and deep projecting cornice which terminates the top floor. Costing $600,000, it was one of the largest office blocks in western Canada when completed in 1914, and the only commission by Dow in this country. An extensive architectural description of the McLeod Block was published in The Contract Record & Engineering Review [Toronto], xxix, 10 February 1915, 150-51, illus. & descrip.
Dow was born in Gaylord, Minnesota on 21 September 1861, and commenced practise in Spokane, Wash. in 1889 and was a partner in a succession of partnerships including Rand & Dow, then Dow & Preusse, then Dow & Zittel, and later Dow & Hubbell in 1907-1910. He later worked under his own name until his retirement in 1940. Dow died in the town of Kent, a suburb of Seattle, on 2 June 1961 at the age of 100 years (obituary Kent News Journal, 7 June 1961; inf. Mr. Kim R. Turner, Seattle Public Library; inf. Edmonton Historical Board)
RAND & DOW
SPOKANE, WASH., The Bump Block, Second Avenue at Post Street, 1890 (inf. Spokane City Historic Preservation Office)
CHICAGO, ILL, Columbian Exposition, The Washington State Pavilion, competition entry, 1891. The firm of Rand & Dow were one of 21 architects from Washington State who submitted a design for this building in Chicago. Their scheme was described as “....plain and neat, with a roof surmounted by a pyramidal tower in the middle, and conical towers at the corner (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 18 Nov. 1891, 8, descrip.). The winner was Warren P. Skillings.
DOW & PREUSSE
SPOKANE, WASH., Bennett Block, West Main Avenue at North Howard Street, 1890 (inf. Spokane City Historic Preservation Office)
DOW & ZITTEL
WALLA WALLA, WASH., Eastern Washington Penitentiary, 1907
PULLMAN, WASH., State College, 1907
MEDICAL LAKE, WASH., Washington State Insane Asylum, Maple Street, 1907-08 (Spokane Press, 10 April 1907, 4, list of works; 8 Jan. 1909, 8)
CHENEY, WASH., Normal School, 1907
ELLENBURG, WASH., Norman School, 1907
NORTH YAKIMA, WASH., The State Fair Building, 1907
DOW & HUBBELL
SPOKANE, WASH., The Paulsen Office Building, West Riverside Avenue at North Washington Street, 1908-11 (Spokane Press, 7 Nov. 1907, 2)
JOHN K. DOW
EDMONTON, ALTA., The McLeod Building, McDougall Street at Rice Street, 1912-14 (Winnipeg Telegram, 29 June 1912, 13, descrip.; Edmonton Daily Bulletin, 25 June 1912, 9, descrip.; 16 Nov 1912, 10, descrip.; 23 Sept. 1914, 4, descrip. 31 Dec. 1914, 7 and 12, extensive architectural descrip., with illus.; Manitoba Free Press, 28 Sept. 1912, 13, descrip.)