RILL, Harry John (1854-1923) of Detroit, Mich. was favoured by the Roman Catholic Diocese in southern Michigan for his plans of ecclesiastical buildings. Born at Mosbach, Bavaria, Germany on 30 April 1854, he emigrated to the United States in 1883 and trained in office of Peter Dederichs in 1885 (Detroit City Directory, 1885, 961). He later opened his own office in that city after 1887. By 1910 he had opened a branch office in the Medbury Block in Windsor, Ont. and was commissioned to design a major addition and auditorium for the Roman Catholic Ursuline College, Grand Avenue, CHATHAM, ONT. in 1909-10 (C.R., xxiii, 6 Jan. 1909, 20; J.C. Hodgins, Schools and Colleges of Ontario, 1792-1910, ii, 263-5, illus. & descrip.). In 1911 he prepared a twin-spired Romanesque design for St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church, Staford Street at Jessie Avenue, WINNIPEG, MAN. Rill died suddenly on 17 January 1923 at Miami, Florida where he had gone to convalesce after a bout of pneumonia (obituary Border Cities Star (Windsor), 20 Jan. 1923, 16; obit. Detroit Free Press, 20 Jan. 1923, 1)
WINDSOR, ONT., LaBelle Apartment Block, Dougall Street at Chatham Street, an 8 unit terrace block for Dr. J.S. LaBelle, 1905-06 (Evening Record [Windsor], 25 Oct. 1905, 1, descrip.)
CHATHAM, ONT., addition of a large auditorium building for the Ursuline Sisters, at the Roman Catholic Ursuline College, Grand Avenue, 1908-09; demol. (Evening Record [Windsor], 17 Nov. 1908, 7, descrip.)
WINNIPEG, MAN. St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church, Staford Street at Jessie Avenue, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 26 April 1911, 54; Catholic Centennial Souvenir, 1912, illus.)