ROWAN, James Hamilton (1831-c.1892), a native of Ireland, born there in 1831. He was Government Engineer in charge of the Manitoba District in 1880-81. Upon being advised by the Chief Engineer in Ottawa to close his office in Winnipeg, Rowan chose to send in his resignation to the Minister of Railways and remain in Winnipeg (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 2 May 1881, 1). He opened an office and was successful in obtaining several commissions for commercial blocks and residential buildings. His best known design is that for Hon. Andrew G.B. Bannatyne's lavish mansion on Armstrong's Point, designed in partnership with Charles H. Payne in an elaborate Scottish Baronial style. Costing $60,000, it became the most ostentatious private dwelling in Manitoba at the time of its construction, but proved too costly for Bannatyne to complete and it sat vacant until 1899 when Sir Charles Tupper bought it, finished it and renamed it 'Ravenscourt'. Rowan continued to work as a civil engineer in Winnipeg until 1890. In 1892 he left Canada and moved to Chile in South America (Winnipeg Daily Times, 30 May 1892, 8)
J.H. ROWAN
HOLY TRINITY ANGLICAN CHURCH, Portage Avenue at Garry Street, addition, 1880 ; Sunday School, 1881(Winnipeg Daily Times, 30 Oct. 1880, 1; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 21 May 1881, 1, t.c.)
CARLTON STREET, residence for H.M. Howell, 1881 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 11 May 1881, 3, t.c.)
ST. BONIFACE WEST, two houses on Block 2, Lot 41, 1882 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 26 April 1882, 8, t.c.)
MacARTHUR BLOCK, Main Street near Portage Avenue, 1882; demol. 1911 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 15 May 1882, t.c.)
WINNIPEG WATER WORKS, Garry Street at Ellice Avenue, offices and stores, 1882 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 June 1882, 2, t.c.; 15 Sept. 1882, 8, descrip.)
TWICKENHAM CLUB & RACQUET COURT, Garry Stret near St. Mary Avenue, 1882 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 7 Aug. 1882, 8, t.c.)
GLADSTONE STREET, row of houses for the Manitoba House Building & Portland Stone Mfr. Co., 1882 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 17 Aug. 1882, 8, t.c.)
CORNISH AVENUE, gatekeeper's lodge to enclose Armstrong's Point, 1882 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 9 Oct. 1882, 4, t.c.)
ROWAN & PAYNE
CHAMBERS TERRACE, McWilliam Avenue, a row of seven houses, 1883 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 31 Jan. 1883, 2, t.c.)
HARGRAVE STREET, residence for T.J.E. Scoones, 1883 (Winnipeg Daily Sun, 15 March 1883, t.c.)
ARMSTRONG'S POINT, mansion for Andrew G.B. Bannatyne, 1883 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 2 March 1883, 5, t.c.; Winnipeg Daily Sun, 31 March 1883, 1, descrip.; The Architect [London], xxx, 10 Nov. 1883, 289 & plate illus.; R.A.I.C. Journal, v, Sept. 1928, 328, illus.)
McWILLIAM STREET, terrace of houses for Mr. Blair, 1883 (Winnipeg Daily Sun, 21 March 1883, 1)
VAUGHAN STREET, at St. Mary Avenue, residence for an unnamed client, 1883 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 27 June 1883, 3, t.c.)
ALL SAINTS ANGLICAN CHURCH, Broadway, 1883 (Winnipeg Daily Sun, 20 Oct. 1883, 2, descrip.; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 16 Feb. 1884, 4, descrip.)