ROWLEY, Alfred John (1869-1926), born in Oxford, England on 6 May 1869, trained there in the office of H.L. Moore, FRIBA in 1884-88 and in 1892-94. He opened an office under his own name in Oxford and practised there as a principal from 1894 to 1910. In April 1910 he emigrated to Canada and lived briefly in Winnipeg where he was employed as a draftsman with Jordan & Over for six months, then with the office of the Provincial Architect Samuel Hooper for one year. In October 1911 he moved to Regina to take a position with Storey & Van Egmond as their chief draftsman, and in 1914 joined S.J. Tripp in partnership (see list of works under Tripp & Rowley). He served with Canadian Expeditionary Forces during WW1 and returned to Regina in March 1918 to re-open his office as an architect there (Morning Leader [Regina], 14 March 1918, 10). From April 1918 to 1922 he shared office space with Horatio C. Flack on 11th Avenue in Regina and met Emile E. Delay, who also worked in the same building. In 1922 Rowley moved to Toronto and he became the staff architect for the Canada Life Insurance Co., overseeing construction projects for the company in several Canadian cities. He was a staff architect in the firm of Sproatt & Rolph at the time of his death there on 15 June 1926 (death notice Toronto Star, 15 July 1926, 30; obit. R.A.I.C. Journal, iii, Sept./Oct. 1926, xxx; biog. in R.I.B.A., Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, 2001, ii, 512)
(with Brown & Vallance, Montreal) REGINA, SASK., St. Chad's College, 1913-14 (Morning Leader (Regina), 7 Aug. 1913, 12). Rowley served as local associate architect for this commission.
DILKE, SASK., St. Lucy's Anglican Church, Gladstone Street at Saskatchewan Avenue, 1914-15; church closed in 1958; but building still standing in 2023 (M. Hryniuk & F. Korvemaker, Legacy of Stone, 2008, 168-71, illus. & descrip.; Parks Canada, Canada's Historic Places, Designation statement 12 June 1995)
REGINA, SASK., Allen Theatre, 11th Avenue at Broad Street, 1918 (Morning Leader [Regina], 20 April 1918, 16, descrip.; and 20 April 1918, 27, t.c.; C.R., xxxii, 1 May 1918, 41; Const., xiii, April 1920, 124, 126, illus. & descrip.)
REGINA, SASK., Empress Theatre, Rose Street, for W. Milne, construction begun in 1914 by Tripp & Rowley; completed by A.J. Rowley, 1918 (Morning Leader [Regina], 4 April 1914, 2, detailed architectural descrip.; and 20 June 1918, 9, descrip.)
HEWARD, SASK, St. Andrew's Anglican Church, Whyte Street at McHenry Avenue, 1919; still standing in 2023 (Morning Leader (Regina), 20 June 1919, 9, descrip.; and 26 July 1919, 13, illus. & descrip.; M. Hryniuk & F. Korvemaker, Legacy of Stone, 2008, 200-03, illus. & descrip., with original perspective drawing by Rowley; Parks Canada, Canada's Historic Places, Designation statement 7 Feb. 1983)
ESTEVAN, SASK., St. Giles Anglican Church, 12th Avenue at 3rd Street, 1919; still standing in 2023 (Morning Leader (Regina), 30 June 1919, 16)
REGINA, SASK., Great West Stores Ltd., 11th Avenue, a new facade, and major addition at rear of existing retail store, 1919 (Morning Leader (Regina), 19 July 1919, 24, descrip.; and 13 Aug. 1919, 6, illus. & detailed descrip.)
REGINA, SASK., Elite Cafe, Scarth Street, 1920-21 (Morning Leader (Regina), 2 Feb. 1920, 13; C.R., xxxv, 30 March 1921, 56, t.c.)
REGINA, SASK, a large 2 storey boat house at Wascana Lake, 1920 (Morning Leader [Regina], 7 Feb. 1920, 20, descrip.)
REGINA, SASK., a large residence for Dr. Charles H. Weicker, at 1810 16th Avenue (now called College Avenue), near Broad Street, 1920; still standing in 2023 ((Morning Leader [Regina], 4 March 1920, 14, descrip.)
(with Emile Delay) HERBERT, SASK., Union Hospital, 1920 (Morning Leader [Regina], 6 Aug. 1920, 10)
HALIFAX, N.S., new regional headquarters for the Canada Life Insurance Co., Granville Street at Barrington Street, a conversion of the old O'Connor Block, 1925 (Evening Mail [Halifax], 1 May 1925, 6, descrip.)
COMPETITIONS
CARDIFF, WALES, Town Hall & Law Courts, 1897. A.J. Rowley of Oxford was one of 56 English architects who submitted a design in this major architectural competition (Building News [London], lxxiii, 17 Dec. 1897, 859-60). His scheme was not premiated, and the First Premium was awarded to Lanchester & Rickards of London.
BOOTLE, LANCASHIRE, ENGL., The Technical Institute, 1898. There were 22 entries sent in for this project, and A.J. Rowley received 3rd Prize of twenty guineas for his effort (Building News [London], lxxiv, 1 April 1898, 451). The winning design was sent in by Woodhouse & Willoughby, Architects.
BRADFORD, ENGL., Cartwright Memorial Hall, Lister Park, 1899. A.J. Rowley, architect of Oxford, was one of 115 entrants who submitted plans. His design was described as having "...a bold and dignified elevation" (Builder [London], lxxvi, 20 May 1899, 488, descrip.), but it was passed over in favour of the winning scheme by Simpson & Allen.