McCOWAN, Hugh (1841-1908), the son of Scottish parents, was born in Wardsville, Ont. on 27 January 1841 and learned the trade of carpenter and stair builder. He moved to Flint, Michigan where he '....studied architecture and sanitary engineering, particularly those branches which form part of the education of the architect' (biography and portrait in Canadian Architect & Builder, x, Jan. 1897, 5). It was at this time that he '.....lost his health due to overwork' and emigrated to Manitoba in 1879 '....in the hope of being benefited by the change of climate'. He commenced practise as an architect and builder in Winnipeg in early 1881 and appears to have worked alone until 1899 when he hired Charles H. Walker as a draftsman who remained with him until 1904.
McCowan's designs were essentially traditional in character and often lacked the progressive imagination and ingenuity found in the work of other formally trained architects such as George C. Browne and J.H.G. Russell who were active in Winnipeg at the turn of the century. In 1906 he formed a partnership with Robert E. Davies, a young architect from Nottingham, England (biography in the Winnipeg Telegram, 18 Sept. 1906, 55). This relationship appears to have been shortlived for the name of the firm does not appear in subsequent Winnipeg directories and no references to works by McCowan & Davies have been found. McCowan died in Winnipeg on 8 April 1908 (obituary in the Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg] 9 April 1908, 7; Winnipeg Tribune, 9 April 1908, 9). His photographic portrait appears in Representative Men of Manitoba, 1902, 79.
Hugh McCOWAN (works in Winnipeg)
HENDERSON BLOCK, Princess Street at William Avenue, 1881; demol. (Daily Times [Winnipeg], 10 Dec. 1881, 1, descrip.)
BAPTIST CHURCH, Rupert Avenue at King Street, 1882 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 5 Aug. 1882, 4, t.c.; 13 Nov. 1882, 8, descrip.)
CAMPBELL BLOCK, Princess Street, opposite the Grand Union Hotel, a 3 storey block for Peter Campbell, 1882; burned 1894 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 23 Aug. 1882, 8, t.c.; 27 Oct. 1882, 5, descrip.)
I.O.O.F. HALL, Princess Street at McDermot Avenue, 1883-84; addition, alterations and improvements 1894 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 17 Aug. 1883, 5, t.c.; Winnipeg Tribune, 6 Oct. 1894, 5, t.c.; C.R., v, 18 Oct. 1894; Winnipeg, 1986-The Year Past, 1988, 57-8, illus.)
CHILDREN'S HOME, River Avenue, addition, 1889 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 13 July 1889, 4, t.c.)
NOTRE DAME STREET, residence for Dr. Clark, to be built "on the lot north of Knox Church, between Princess Street and Smith Street, 1890 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 April 1890, 5, descrip.)
CENTRAL COLLEGIATE, Kate Street at Bannatyne Avenue, 1891; demol. 1929 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 30 June 1891, 4, t.c.; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 4 July 1891, 4, illus., 5, text; 22 July 1891, 4)
J.Y. GRIFFIN & CO., Nairn Avenue at Stadacona Street "..at the Louise Bridge", meat packing plant, 1893; major addition and annex 1895; cold storage warehouse 1896; all demol. c. 1940 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 8 April 1893, 6, t.c.; 8 April 1896, 5, descrip of cold storage warehouse addition; Winnipeg Tribune, 20 Aug. 1895, 5, descrip; Vancouver Daily World, 19 Sept. 1895, 3, descrip.; C.R., vi, 19 Sept. 1895, 2, t.c.; vii, 16 April 1896, 4)
WINNIPEG GENERAL HOSPITAL, Bannatyne Avenue, nurse's home, 1894; addition of the Victoria Jubilee Wing, 1898 (C.R., v, 31 May 1894, 1, t.c.; Winnipeg Tribune, 22 Sept. 1894, 8; 6 May 1898, 5, illus. & descrip.; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 19 April 1898, 5, t.c.; 20 May 1898, 7, illus & descrip., incorrectly attributed to George C. Browne, but with later correction 21 May 1898, 10)
GARRY STREET, at Graham Avenue, residence for W. Armstrong, 1894 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 24 April 1894, 3, descrip.)
GRAHAM AVENUE, at Garry Street, terrace of six houses for Kenneth McKenzie, 1894 (C.R., v, 5 July 1894, 1)
KNOX PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, extensive alterations and improvements, 1895 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 16 Jan. 1895, 1, descrip.)
CHRISTIE BLOCK, Main Street at James Avenue, for W.J. Christie, 1895; demol. 1990 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 26 March 1895, 6, descrip.; 4 May 1895, 3, descrip.; Winnipeg, 1990-The Year Past, 53-4, illus.)
NAIRNE BLOCK, Market Street at King Street, for Stephen Nairn, 1895 (Winnipeg Tribune, 27 July 1895, 6)
MARTIN, BOLE & WYNNE BLOCK, McDermot Avenue at King Street, 1896-97 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 11 July 1896, 1, descrip.)
SCANDINAVIAN MISSION CHURCH, Logan Avenue at Ellen Street, 1897 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 30 Oct. 1897, 8, descrip.; Winnipeg, 1987-The Year Past, 1989, 35-6, illus.)
CENTRAL SCHOOL NO. 2 (Victoria School), Ellen Street at Bannatyne Avenue, remodelling facade and interior alterations, 1898; burned 1930 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 25 April 1898, 5, t.c.)
SEYMOUR HOUSE HOTEL, Market Street at King Street, major addition, 1898 (Winnipeg Tribune, 2 June 1899, 6; C.R., ix, 16 Nov. 1898, 3)
HARGRAVE STREET, residence for Col. Lake, "..opposite the residence of J.H. Ashdown", 1899 (Winnipeg Tribune, 2 June 1899, 6)
BULLMAN BROTHERS, Bannatyne Avenue near Albert Street, commercial block, 1899 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 12 June 1899, 8, t.c.)
CARLETON STREET, residence for Robert Strang, 1900; demol. 1975 (C.R., xi, 9 May 1900, 3, t.c.)
STRANG BLOCK, Main Street near McDermot Avenue, 1900 (C.R., xi, 5 Sept. 1900, 3, t.c.)
STOVEL PRINTING & PUBLISHING CO., McDermot Avenue near Arthur Street, 1900 (Early Buildings of Manitoba, 1973, 115, illus.)
ALBERT SCHOOL, Gertie Street at Bannatyne Avenue, 1901, addition and assembly hall, 1901 (C.R., xii, 20 Feb. 1901, 2)
KENNEDY STREET, near Portage Avenue, office and sanitarium for Dr. John S. Baird, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 29 July 1903, 2, t.c.)
VETERINARY HOSPITAL, for Dr. W.E. Martin, James Street, 1903 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 5 Dec. 1903, 2, descript.)
J.Y. GRIFFIN & CO., Levis Street at Vaudreuil Street, cold storage warehouse for meat packing company, 1906-07 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 8 Dec. 1906, 16)
Hugh McCOWAN (works elsewhere in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta)
PILOT MOUND, MAN., Baptist Church, 1888 (Manitoba Weekly Free Press, 22 Nov. 1888, 2)
SELKIRK, MAN., residence for the Superintendent of the Asylum, 1890 (Winnipeg Tribune, 19 April 1890, 5; 13 June 1890, 4, t.c.)
CALGARY, ALTA., Baptist Church, Angus Avenue at Hamilton Street, 1890 (Calgary Daily Herald, 30 Aug. 1890, 1, descrip.)
CARMAN, MAN., Baptist Church, 1892 (Winnipeg Tribune, 10 June 1892, 8)
MORDEN, MAN., The Morden Masonic Hospital, a large cottage hospital, 1892 (Manitoba Morning Free Press [Winnnipeg], 5 May 1892, 2, t.c.; The Times [Moose Jaw], 23 Sept. 1892, 1, descrip., but incorrectly credited to "Hugh Cowan [sic], architect of Winnipeg")
MORDEN, MAN., residence for H.B. Hanson, 1893 (C.R., iv, 23 Feb. 1893, 2)
MORRIS, MAN., Presbyterian Church, 1893 (Winnipeg Tribune, 18 April 1893, 8)
PILOT MOUND, MAN., residence for W. Murdock, 1893 (C.R., iv, 1 June 1893, 2)
GRETNA, MAN., public school, 1893 (Winnipeg Tribune, 26 June 1893, 5, t.c.)
MORDEN, MAN., public school, 1893 (C.R., iv, 20 July 1893, 1, t.c.)
MORDEN, MAN., Hotel Manitoba, North Railway Street, at 9th Street, for Jacob Heiman, 1895 (Winnipeg Tribune, 8 May 1895, 4, t.c.; Manitoba Morning Free Press [Winnipeg], 4 May 1895, 3)
MORDEN, MAN., block of stores for C.R. Dunsford, 1895 (Manitoba Morning Free Press [Winnipeg], 4 May 1895, 3)
CYPRESS RIVER, MAN., hotel for J.A. Herron, 1896 (C.R., vii, 16 July 1896, 2)
CYPRESS RIVER, MAN., public School, 1896 (C.R., vii, 16 July 1896, 2)
MEDICINE HAT, ALTA., major addition to public school, 1898 (Daily Leader [Regina], 14 April 1898, 8)
BRANDON, MAN., Brandon Baptist College, Lorne Avenue at 18th Street, 1900-01 (C.R., xi, 2 May 1900, 3; Manitoba Semi-Weekly Free Press (Winnipeg), 9 July 1900, 7; Winnipeg Tribune, 2 Oct. 1901, 6, descrip.; C. Stone & F. Garnett, Brandon College: A History 1899-1967, 1969, 27)
YORKTON., SASK., Town Hall and Fire Hall, 1904 (Winnipeg Tribune, 21 March 1904, 5, descrip.)
EMERSON, MAN., Baptist Church, 1905-06 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 28 Feb. 1906, 4, descrip.; Northwest Baptist, 15 March 1906, 5, illus.)