McNICOL, John D. (1849-1938) was born in Pakenham, Ont. and as a youth was sent to New York City by his Scottish father to take courses in architecture. By 1875 he had returned to Canada and commenced work as a carpenter and builder in Renfrew. After 1890 he began to style himself as an architect and , for the next forty years, dominated the town as Renfrew's only resident architect, competing with outsiders like Moses C. Edey and Benjamin Dillon who, on occassion, obtained lucrative commissions for commercial works that McNicol likely coveted. His best known work was O'Brien's Opera House (1908-09), the largest block on the main street executed with coarse and simplified Romanesque Revival detailing. McNicol died in Renfrew on 25 August 1938 (obit. Renfrew Mercury, 25 Aug. 1938, 1; inf. Heritage Renfrew)
RENFREW
TEMPERANCE HALL (now the Town Hall), Main Street, 1893 (Renfrew Mercury, 26 May 1893, 5)
ARGYLE STREET, residence for Dr. McCormack, 1894 (Renfrew Mercury, 14 Sept. 1894, 5)
HIGH SCHOOL, 1895-96; gymnasium addition, 1911 (Renfrew Mercury, 17 Jan. 1896, 1, illus.; C.R., xxv, 7 June 1911, 60)
ST. ANDREW'S PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, a manse for the church, 1896 (Renfrew Mercury, 21 Feb. 1896, 5)
PLAUNT STREET, residence for W.N. Faichney, 1898 (Renfrew Mercury, 13 May 1898, 4, t.c.)
ARGYLE STREET, parsonage for the Methodist Church, 1900 (Renfrew Mercury, 27 July 1900, 5)
PLAUNT STREET, at Renfrew Street, residence for J.C. Wright, 1900 (Renfrew Mercury, 17 Aug. 1900, 4, t.c.)
VICTORIA GENERAL HOSPITAL, Raglan Street North, major addition, 1902; major addition to hospital, and remodelling of existing building, 1908 (C.R., xiii, 30 April 1902, 2, t.c.; Evening Journal [Ottawa], 20 April 1908, 5)
RAGLAN STREET, at Patrick Street, store for Roland Crozier, 1905 (Renfrew Mercury, 24 March 1905, 3, t.c.; C.R., xvi, 29 March 1905, 2, t.c.)
O'BRIEN'S OPERA HOUSE, Raglan Street at Opeongo Street, 1908-09 (Renfrew Mercury, 19 March 1909, Supplement, 1-2, illus. & descrip.)
unnamed street, residence for G. McIntyre, 1911 (C.R., xxv, 14 June 1911, 60)
GENERAL HOSPITAL, 1912 (Evening Journal [Ottawa], 30 July 1912, 9)
ELSEWHERE
LOCHWINNOCH, ONT., Presbyterian Church, 1893 (Renfrew Mercury, 30 June 1893, 5)
FORRESTER'S FALLS, ONT., school for S.S. No. 6, Ross Township, 1910-11 (C.R., xxiv, 28 Dec. 1910, 24)