LISTON, Owen Eugene (1852-1913), the son of Irish parents, was born in the United States on 18 May 1852 and later came to Canada, opening an office at Brockville, Ont. in 1878. Liston must have possessed some practical knowledge and training in architecture for he was ambitious enough to submit a design in the competition for the Ontario Parliament Buildings in 1880. His entry, labeled 'Prudence', was not one of the finalists, however, and his scheme did not advance to the second stage (Ontario, Ministry of Govt. Services, report by Ms. Fern Bayer & R. Nasgaard, 1978, 10-11).
Just four years later he was awarded First Premium in the competition for the Town Hall at Almonte, winning out over entries submitted by architects from Montreal, Ottawa and eleswhere. One of his notable works in Brockville is Publow Terrace, a row of ten houses framing Court House Square in Brockville and designed in a distinctive Queen Anne style by the firm of Liston & Liston (the latter perhaps a brother who may have also moved north from the United States). Liston was one of the founding members of the Ontario Association of Architects and registered with the group on 2 October 1890, but his name is absent from membership lists after 1899. In 1900 he moved back across the border to Ogdensburg, N.Y. and continued to practise there as an architect and civil engineer (Kimball's Ogdensburg Directory, 1900, 122). In 1902 he was still living and working there as an architect (Donavin's Ogdensburg Directory, 1902, 107), and further research in that town may uncover evidence of his commissions in upstate New York after 1900. By 1905 he had moved to the New York City area. Liston died in Queens, New York in 1913 (inf. Canada, 1891 Census, Ontario: Brockville - North Ward, 2-3; inf. Ogdensburg Public Library).
O.E. LISTON
KINGSTON, ONT., Jubilee Methodist Episcopal Church, Brock Street at Montreal Street, 1878-79; demol. (Daily News [Kingston], 20 March 1879, 3, detailed architectural descrip.; Daily British Whig [Kingston], 20 March 1879, 3, detailed descrip., but lacking attribution; J. McKendry, Bricks in 19th Century Architecture of the Kingston Area, 2017, 39-40, illus.; J.McKendry, Architects Working in the Kingston Region 1820-1920, 2019, 71, illus.)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., conversion of the old City Hall into an Opera House, 1879 (Daily British Whig [Kingston], 20 May 1879, 2)
PRESCOTT, ONT., residence for Peter Moran, 1880 (Prescott Telegraph, 12 May 1880, 3)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., carriage house for the residence for James Worthington, Pine Street, 1881 (Evening Recorder [Brockville], 16 Sept. 1881, 4, t.c.)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., rebuilding of the residence for Mrs. C.S. McLean, 1881 (Evening Recorder [Brockville], 17 Sept. 1881, 1, t.c.)
ALMONTE, ONT., residence for J. Dowdall, 1883-84 (Almonte Gazette, 7 March 1884, 3)
ALMONTE, ONT., Town Hall, 1884 (Almonte Gazette, 7 March 1884, 3; Daily Times [Brockville], 27 Feb. 1884, 4; 5 April 1884, 1, t.c.)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., residence for an unnamed client at Park Street and James Street, 1884 (Daily Times [Brockville], 22 May 1884, 4)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., residence for Mr. MacNamara, Garden Street, 1884 (Daily Times [Brockville], 3 June 1884, 4)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., Gallena Block, King Street West, for Joseph Gallena, 1889 (C.A.B., i, Dec. 1888, 7)
WESTPORT, ONT., Methodist Church, 1890 (Evening Recorder [Brockville], 3 April 1890, 5, descrip.)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., major alterations to Bowes Brewery, 1890 (C.R., i, 10 May 1890, 2)
PAKENHAM, ONT., Methodist Church, 1891; demol. 1925 (75th Anniversary of the Building & Dedication of St. Andrew's Church Pakenham, 1973, 3)
ROCKPORT, ONT., Roman Catholic Church, 1891 (C.R., ii, 5 Sept. 1891, 2; Evening Recorder [Brockville], 14 Jan. 1892, 8)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., Roman Catholic Separate School, James Street, 1891-92 (Catholic Record [London], 12 Dec. 1891, 4, descrip.)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., Sisters of Charity Roman Catholic Convent, Church Street, 1891-92 (Catholic Record [London], 12 Dec. 1891, 4, descrip.)
NEWBORO, ONT., Methodist Church, 1893 (C.R., iii, 4 Feb. 1893, 1; Christian Guardian [Toronto], 12 July 1893, 435)
LISTON & LISTON
BROCKVILLE, ONT., major alterations to St. Lawrence Hall, Church Street at Buell Street, for Amos Robinson, 1894 (C.R., v, 15 Feb. 1894, 2)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., new facade for store of George E. Shields, King Street West, 1895 (C.R., vi, 20 June 1895, 1, t.c.)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., Publow Terrace, a row of ten houses facing Court House Square, 1895 (Globe [Toronto], 5 July 1895, 4; C.A.B., ix, Jan. 1896, 11)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., major addition to St. Vincent de Paul Hospital, Pine Street, 1898 (C.R., ix, 1 June 1898, 2, t.c.)
SMITH'S FALLS, ONT., store in Shawville for Williams & Vanluven, 1899 (Rideau Record [Smith's Falls), 16 Feb. 1899, 1)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., major alterations to store for A.E. Cameron, King Street, 1899 (C.R., x, 10 May 1899, 3, t.c.)
BROCKVILLE, ONT., addition to the County Registry Office, William Street, 1899 (inf. Douglas Grant, Brockville)