SHARP, Richard Prior (1864-1936) was active in New Westminster, B.C. and is best known for his brief collaboration with Samuel Maclure between March 1891 and November 1892 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 12 March 1891, 4). Born in the town of Bourne, Co. Lincolnshire, England he served an apprenticeship in Peterborough, Northamptonshire and practiced for eight years in that country. He was elected as a Member of the Society of Architects (MSA) in February 1888 (Building News [London], liv, 2 March 1888, 314).
Sharp emigrated to Canada in 1889 and settled in New Westminster where the majority of his commissions were for private cottages and residences. He was one of the founding members of the British Columbia Institute of Architects and was elected as its Honorary Secretary for a two year term. In September of 1892 Sharp was one of sixty architects who submitted entries in the competition for the British Columbia Legislative Buildings (M. Segger, The British Columbia Parliament Buildings, 1979, 84). Although his scheme was not one of the finalists it is likely that the submission was a collaborative effort between Sharp and his partner Samuel Maclure before the dissolution of their office after November 1892. Sharp continued to work under his own name for the next three years, and left Canada to return to England in 1896.
In 1901 he was recorded as an architect In Longstowe, Co. Cambridgeshire, and in 1911 he was living and working as an architect & surveyor in Goudhurst, Co. Kent. Sharp died at West Ashford, Co. Kent in June 1936 (C.A.B., ix, Sept. 1896, 133; biography in Vancouver World, Souvenir Edition, 20 June 1896, 15; port. in C.A.B., vii, Oct. 1894; R.I.B.A., Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, 2001, ii, 586; D. Luxton, Building the West: The Early Architects of British Columbia, 2003, 186-7, 518).
R.P. SHARP
(works in New Westminster unless noted)
HOLY TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH, Carnarvon Street at Church Street, St. Leonard's Parish Hall, 1890; burned 1898 (Memoirs of a Cathedral-Holy Trinity Church, New Westminster 1859-1959, 34)
YALE, B.C., major addition to the Mission School for Girls, 1890 (Vancouver Daily World, 5 July 1890, 4, descrip.)
SHARP & MACLURE
FOURTH STREET, at Fifth Avenue, residence for Albert J. Hill, 1891; demol. (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 21 May 1891, 1; M. Segger, The Buildings of Samuel Maclure, 1986, 26-8, illus.)
FIFTH STREET, at Fifth Avenue, residence for Arthur E.B. Hill, 1891; demol. (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 21 May 1891, 1; M. Segger, The Buildings of Samuel Maclure, 1986, 27-9, 122, illus.)
FOURTH AVENUE, residence for Frank Broad, 1891 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 21 May 1891, 1; 24 Dec. 1891, 4; M. Segger, The Buildings of Samuel Maclure, 1986, 255)
QUEEN'S AVENUE, at Fifth Street, residence for Frederick H. Robson, 1891 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 21 May 1891, 1; M. Segger, The Buildings of Samuel Maclure, 264)
NANAIMO, B.C., St. Alban's Anglican Church, Nicol Street at Crace Street, 1891-92 (Colonist [Victoria], 20 Oct. 1891, 8, descrip.; Vancouver Daily World, 21 Oct. 1891, 6, descrip.; Canadian Churchman [Toronto], 19 Nov. 1891, 713, descrip.)
CHILLIWACK, B.C., residence for J.H. Ashwell, Johnson Street, 1891 (Vancouver Daily World, 21 Oct. 1891, 5; Chilliwack Progress, 21 April 1892, 1, descrip.; M. Segger, The Buildings of Samuel Maclure, 1986, 254)
ROYAL AVENUE, residence for Marshall M. English, 1891 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 24 Dec. 1891, 4; M. Segger, The Buildings of Samuel Maclure, 1986, 25, 27, 60, illus.)
KEARY STREET, five cottages at Sapperton for W.H. Keary, 1891 (Vancouver Daily World, 31 July 1891, 4, t.c.; Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 24 Dec. 1891, 4)
ALBERT CRESCENT, two cottages for Thomas W. Quilty, 1891 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 24 Dec. 1891, 4)
BURNABY, B.C., residence for Bernard R. Hill, 1891 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 24 Dec. 1891, 4)
QUEEN'S AVENUE, residence for F.H. Robson, 1891 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 24 Dec. 1891, 4)
FIFTH STREET, at Third Avenue, residence for James A. Cunningham, 1891 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 24 Dec. 1891, 4; M. Segger, The Buildings of Samuel Maclure, 1986, 25, 27, illus.)
ST. PATRICK STREET, residence for John McKenzie, 1891 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 24 Dec. 1891, 4)
PELHAM STREET, near Sixth Street, four pairs of cottages for I.B. Fisher, 1892 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 23 Jan. 1892, 1)
VANCOUVER, B.C., Daily World Building, Homer Street near Hastings Street, 1892 (Vancouver Daily World, 12 March 1892, 4, t.c.; Vancouver Weekly World, 30 June 1892, 2, descrip.)
THIRD AVENUE, residence for J.C. Whyte, 1892 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 31 Dec. 1892, 3)
THIRD AVENUE, residence for I.B. Fisher, 1892 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 31 Dec. 1892, 3)
SIXTH STREET, residence for A.J. Holmes, 1892 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 31 Dec. 1892, 3)
FIRST STREET, residence for Charles A. Stoess, 1892 (Daily Columbian [New Westminster], 31 Dec. 1892, 3)
R.P. SHARP
MISSION CITY, B.C., the 'fish works' (perhaps a canning plant?), 1893 (Vancouver Daily World, 11 July 1893, 3)
MISSION CITY, B.C., Anglican Church, 1893 (Vancouver Daily World, 11 July 1893, 3)
MISSION CITY, B.C., residence for Mr. Bulwer, 1893 (Vancouver Daily World, 11 July 1893, 3)
BURNABY, B.C., Public School, 1894 (British Columbia, Sessional Papers, 1894-95, Public Accounts, 96)
CHILLIWACK, B.C., St. Thomas Anglican Church, Gore Avenue, 1897 (Chilliwack Progress, 15 Dec. 1897, 1, descrip.)