REILLY, William Robinson (1857-1936) of Regina, Sask. was active as an engineer and land surveyor from 1883 and began to list himself as an architect in 1889 (Leader [Regina], 12 March 1889, 1, advert.). He was active in the following offices:
W.R. Reilly, Regina, 1884-1907
Reilly & Clemesha, Regina, 1907-09 (with Frederick W. Clemesha)
Reilley, Dawson & Reilly, Regina, 1909-1912 (with Harold Dawson and Francis B. Reilly)
Reilly, Dawson, Hancock & Reilly, Regina, 1912-1915 (with Harold Dawson, Edward J. Hancock and Francis B. Reilly)
Reilly, Dawson & Reilly, Regina, 1917-1921 (with Harold Dawson and Francis B. Reilly)
Reilly, Warburton & Reilly, Regina, 1921-1933 (with Joseph Warburton and Francis B. Reilly)
Born in Wardsville, Ont. on 10 August 1857, W.R. Reilly was educated there and at the age of nineteen he took up the study of surveying. He moved to Winnipeg in 1882 and surveyed several town sites during the real estate boom, then relocated to Regina, N.W.T. in 1883. He appears to have worked alone until 1907 when he formed a partnership in Regina with a talented young English architect Francis W. Clemesha (in 1907-09). When Clemesha left to open his own office, Reilly formed a new partnership with Harold Dawson in 1909, as Reilly, Dawson & Reilly. They in turn were joined by a fourth partner Edward J. Hancock in 1912 (active to 1915), and then the firm reverted to Reilly, Dawson & Reilly (active 1917-21). Dawson left, and his position was filled by a new partner Joseph Warburton (active 1921 to 1933).
His younger brother Francis B. Reilly moved to Regina in 1891 and joined William in a succession of architectural partnerships from 1910 until 1936. Neither brother appears to have obtained any formal education in architecture, but William R. was a respected member of the profession and a founding member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada in 1907 and one of the organizers of the Saskatchewan Association of Architects, created in 1911. He remained active until his death in Regina on 21 March 1936 (obit. Leader-Post [Regina], 23 March 1936, 1; R.A.I.C. Journal, xiii, April 1936, 87; inf. Sask. Assoc. of Architects)
W.R. REILLY (works in Regina)
REGINA, SASK., Methodist Church, 1889 (Regina Leader, 28 May 1889, 8)
REGINA, SASK., new transept and chancel for St. Paul's Anglican Church, McIntyre Street at 12th Avenue, 1905-06 (Leader [Regina], 1 May 1906, 1, illus. & descrip.)
REILLY & CLEMESHA (works in Saskatchewan)
FILLMORE, SASK., a new brick school with four classrooms, 1907 (Morning Leader [Regina], 6 May 1907, 13, t.c.)
BOSCURVIS, SASK., a new brick school building, 1908 (Furrow to the Future: Oxbow & Glen Ewan, 1984, p. 43, noting the school "...as per plans and specifications of W. Ryly [sic], Architect"; inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
MOOSE JAW, SASK., St. John's Anglican Church, High Street East, 1909 (C.R., xxiii, 19 May 1909, 18, t.c.)
REILLY, DAWSON & KELLY (works in Saskatchewan)
SEDLEY, SASK., Fire Station and Municipal Hall, 1910 (C.R., xxiv, 3 Aug. 1910, 24, t.c.)
REILLY, DAWSON & REILLY (works in Regina and elsewhere)
SCLATER & FINLAYSON BLOCK, Dewdney Street at Albert Street, a retail store block, 1911 (Morning Leader [Regina], 27 April 1911, 13, t.c.)
MORTLACH, SASK., public school, 1911 (Moose Jaw Evening Times, 7 Aug. 1911, 8, t.c.)
REGINA, SASK., Prairie Shoe Co., Rose Street at 8th Avenue, office and warehouse, 1911 (Morning Leader [Regina], Building Number, 30 Nov. 1911, 11, descrip.)
REGINA, SASK., store and apartments for Henry Black, c. 1911 (dwgs. at SAB, Henry Black Fonds, Acc. R 2004-312)
REGINA, SASK., Westman Block, Rose Street, a 3 storey commercial block for J.A. Westman, 1912 (Morning Leader [Regina], 14 Feb. 1912, 9, descrip.; and 12 Oct. 1912, Development Number, 4, illus.)
MOOSE JAW, SASK., block for F.A. Reese & Co., 1912 (Moose Jaw Evening Times, 6 March 1912, 5, t.c.)
REGINA, SASK., factory for Saskatoon Tent & Mattress Co., 1912 (C.R., xxvi, 13 March 1912, 73, t.c.)
REILLY, DAWSON, HANCOCK & REILLY (works in Regina and elsewhere)
REGINA, SASK., St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Dewdney Avenue at Angus Street, 1913 (C.R., xxvii, 13 Aug. 1913, 68)
REGINA, SASK., residence for T.B. Marshall, Victoria Avenue near Robinson Street, 1913 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 30 Aug. 1913, 11, descrip.; C.R., xxvii, 3 Sept. 1913, 74)
MORSE, SASK., public school, McKenzie Street at Prairie Avenue, 1913 (Morse News, 22 Jan. 1914, 6, illus. & descrip.)
MOOSE JAW, SASK., Garrick Movie Theatre, High Street West, 1914 (Moose Jaw b.p. 27 Jan. 1914)
REGINA, SASK., Nurses' Home for the Regina General Hospital, 14th Avenue at Toronto Street, 1914 (C.R., xxviii, 8 April 1914, 77)
MOOSE JAW, SASK., Binning Block, High Street West, 1914 (Moose Jaw Evening Times, 15 Aug. 1914, illus. & descrip.)
SHAUNAVON, SASK., public school, 1915 (Shaunavon Standard, 15 April 1915, 1, t.c.)
SWIFT CURRENT, SASK., Elmwood Public School, Dufferin Street West at 1st Avenue N.W., 1914-15 (Morning Leader [Regina], 8 March 1914, 13, t.c.; The Sun [Swift Current], 27 Aug. 1915, 1, illus. & descrip.; cornerstone inscription, with date and names of architects; inf. Frank Korvemaker, Regina)
REILLY, DAWSON & REILLY (works in Saskatchewan)
LIBERTY, SASK., public school, 1917 (Morning Leader (Regina), 18 April 1917, 23, t.c.)
PRUSSIA, SASK., public school, 1917 (Morning Leader (Regina), 13 June 1917, 15, t.c.; dwgs. at Sask. Dept of Pub. Works, item P 10)
CADILLAC, SASK., Royal Bank, Centre Street near Lasalle Street, 1919; converted to offices and apartments c. 1980; still standing in 2023 (Morning Leader (Regina), 19 July 1919, 24, descrip.)
BINDLOSS, ALTA., Standard Bank, 1919 (Morning Leader (Regina), 19 July 1919, 24)
MOOSE JAW, SASK, Fire Hall, 1919 (Morning Leader [Regina], 28 Feb. 1920, 13, illus. in advert. for Poole Construction Ltd.)
SHEHO, SASK., Royal Bank, 1920 (Morning Leader [Regina], 2 Sept. 1920, 10, t.c.; inf. Ross Herrington, Regina)
ITUNA, SASK., school for St. Joseph de Dauphinais School Div. 17, near Ituna, 1921 (Morning Leader [Regina], 15 Feb. 1921, 15, t.c.; inf. Ross Herrington, Regina)
REGINA, SASK., apartment block for Henry Black, 1921 (C.R., xxxv, 2 March 1921, 60)
REILLY, WARBURTON & REILLY (works in Regina unless noted)
REGINA, SASK., Settlement House for the United Church Mission, Wallace Street at 12th Avenue, 1927 (Morning Leader [Regina], 10 Oct. 1927, 2, descrip.)
REGINA, SASK., Yeager Fur Co., 11th Avenue at Smith Street, showroom and store, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 25 April 1928, 56)
BIENFAIT, SASK., municipal hall for the Municipality of Coalfields, 1928 (C.R., xlii, 25 July 1928, 61, t.c.)
REGINA, SASK., The Qu'Appelle Apartments, Hamilton Street at 13th Avenue, a 4 storey apartment block for Benjamin Mintz, 1928-29; still standing in 2023 (C.R., xlii, 21 Nov. 1928, 54; Morning Leader [Regina], 2 March 1929, 14-15, illus. and detailed architectural descrip.)
REGINA, SASK., office block for the Regina School Board, Lorne Street at 12th Avenue, 1929 (dwgs. at Regina Board of Education Office)
REGINA, SASK., commercial block (perhaps the Somerset Block), Smith Street at 11th Avenue, 1929 (C.R., xliii, 8 May 1929, 59)
REGINA, SASK., central heating plant for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Barracks, Dewdney Avenue at Campbell Street, 1934; Gymnasium, 1937; additions to Block A and Block B, 1937 (C.R., xlviii, 13 June 1934, 33, t.c.; and vol. 50, 12 May 1937, 36, t.c.)