REID, James Bruce (1858- c. 1892), a native of Scotland, was born in 1858 and arrived in Ontario before 1885. He was employed as a draftsman by William Newlands in Kingston, Ont. from 1885 to 1888, and then became a partner in the new firm of Newlands & Reid, Architects (Daily Whig [Kingston], 2 Feb. 1888, 4, advert.). This partnership ended in less than one year, and was dissolved in January 1889 (Daily Whig [Kingston], 19 Jan. 1889, 1, advert.). Reid then worked under his own name, assisted by Arthur Ellis; together, they formed a new partnership in 1890 and collaborated on the refined Romanesque design for the Young Men's Christian Association, Kingston in 1891. By September 1891 Reid had left Ontario; it was noted that he was '.....visiting Europe, and Mr. Arthur Ellis has been in charge of his practise'. By November, Reid had decided to remain in Europe, leaving Ellis to carry on their practice in Kingston (C.A.B., iv, Nov. 1891, ix; inf. Fern Graham, Ottawa).
Surprisingly, he reappeared just weeks later in Nanaimo, B.C. where he was in partnership with the prominent Victoria, B.C. architect Thomas Hooper. Reid served as local partner in the firm of Hooper & Reid, and he had charge of their commissions in Nanaimo, but their collaboration ended when Reid, in serious financial difficulty, absconded with money borrowed from clients and contractors under false pretenses. A full account of his financial misdeeds appeared in the Nanaimo Free Press, 22 January 1892, p. 1, where he was referred to as the architect Mr. Reid, who "....had previously been in business in Kingston, Ontario". He was last heard from when heading to New Westminster in late January 1892 ((biog. and list of works in Jennifer McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region 1820-1920, 2019, 99, illus.).
J.B. REID
(works in Kingston, Ont.)
YORK STREET, at Division Street, a row of three brick houses at the northeast corner, for an unnamed client, 1889; still standing as of 2020 (Daily Whig [Kingston], 27 Feb. 1889, 4, t.c.; J. McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region 1820-1920, 99, list of works by J.B. Reid)
BARRIE STREET, at Union Street, double residence for J.B. McIver, 1889 (Daily Whig [Kingston], 16 Feb. 1889, 1, t.c.; J. McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region 1820-1920, 99, illus., with list of works by J.B. Reid)
BARRIE STREET, at Stuart Street, residence for George Cliff, 1889 (Daily Whig [Kingston], 26 March 1889, 4, t.c.; Kingston, Buildings of Architectural and Historic Significance, vi, 1985, 33-5, illus.)
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, Bagot Street at Charles Street, 1889 (Kingston, Buildings of Architectural and Historic Significance, vi, 1985, 11-12; J. McKendry, Woodwork in Historic Buildings of the Kingston Region, 2018, 104-05, illus. & descrip.)
GANANOQUE, ONT., residence for W.Y. Boyd, 1889 (Daily Whig [Kingston], 24 June 1889, 1)
GANANOQUE, ONT. site plan and layout for the Gananoque Cemetery, 1889 (Weekly British Whig [Kingston], 5 Sept. 1889, 2)
GORDON STREET [now University Avenue], residence for George Young, 1889 (Daily Whig [Kingston], 17 July 1889, 1, t.c.; J. McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region 1820-1920, 99, illus., with list of works by J.B. Reid)
CURLING & SKATING RINK, Union Street, near the Drill Hall, 1889 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 2 Nov. 1889, 1)
KINGSTON GENERAL HOSPITAL, The Nickle Wing, a major 3 storey addition to the hospital, 1890 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 8 April 1890, 1, descrip.; and 15 July 1890, 1, detailed descrip.; J. McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region 18201-1920, 2019, 99, illus.)
MURNEY TOWER, King Street West, on the waterfront, a proposal to convert the fortress tower into a lighthouse, 1890 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 10 May 1890, 1)
INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODDFELLOWS BLOCK, Princess Street at Sydenham Street, 1891; burned January 1899; rebuilt by Power & Son (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 5 Feb. 1891, 1, t.c.; C.R., i, 7 Feb. 1891, 2, t.c.; J. McKendry, Bricks in 19th Century Architecture of the Kingston Area, 2017, 61, illus. & descrip.)
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, Wellington Street at Johnson Street, reconstruction of the church after a fire, with the addition of transepts, 1891 (C.R., ii, 28 March 1891, 2; Kingston, Buildings of Architectural and Historic Significance, v, 1980, 265-67, illus.)
CITY HALL, Ontario Street, alterations, 1891 (C.R., ii, 6 June 1891, 2, t.c.)
(with Arthur Ellis) YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION, Princess Street at Barrie Street, 1891-92; demol. (C.R., ii, 15 Aug. 1891, 1, t.c.; C.A.B., iv, Aug. 1891, plate illus.)