KING, Atwell John (1880-c. 1942), an architect from Westmount, Montreal, Que. who was active in several Canadian architectural competitions after 1900. King was borne in Montreal on 12 March 1880 and trained in Montreal and New York City. He was part of the successful team who submitted the winning design in the competition for the Carnegie Library in Hamilton in 1910, but their scheme was later rejected by the jury who mistakenly assumed they were Americans citizens submitting a design from New York (they were, in fact, Canadians who were temporarily working in New York at this time). King appears to have been active in Montreal in 1910, but is unlisted in city directories until 1926 when he was recorded in the short-lived partnership with Homer Adams, of Adams & King, Architects. He may have moved to the United States after 1929, and is almost certainly the same "Atwell John King" who was recorded in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1940, and as “unemployed” and living in New York City in 1942.
A.J. KING (works in Montreal and area)
OUTREMONT, a group of 12 houses for George Goodbody, at 325 to 367 l’Epee Avenue, 1910 (City of Outremont b.p. 298, 8 April 1910)
COMPETITIONS
HAMILTON, ONT., Carnegie Library, Main Street West, 1910. While working in Montreal in 1910, A.J. King was part of a team of young architects to submit an entry in the competition for the new Carnegie Library. This team included Harold E. Shorey, and A.W. Pavey of London, Ontario. who were both studying architecture in New York City. Their entry was awarded First Prize, but was later disqualified because two of the members were erroneously thought to be American citizens (Montreal Daily Star, 20 July 1910, 4). The commission was later given to Alfred W. Peene of Hamilton.
WINNIPEG, MAN., City Hall, 1913. A.J. King of Westmount was one of 39 architects from across Canada who submitted an entry in this national competition (City of Winnipeg Archives, Council Communications, 1913, Box A 169, Item 9741, list of competitors). His entry was passed over, and the First Premium was awarded to Clemesha & Portnall, but their winning design was never built.
FRANCE & BELGIUM, Canadian Battlefields Memorial Competition, 1921. A.J. King was among over 100 competitors who submitted 160 different sets of designs in this two-stage competition. He was one of the finalists, and his proposal was moved to the Second Stage, but the eventual winner was F.C. Clemesha of Regina (list of 2nd stage competitors in The Contract Record [Toronto], xxxv, 4 May 1921, 452).