GARVEN, James, Jr. (c. 1840- died 1872) of Montreal was the son of James Garven Sr., a contractor and builder of Griffintown in the city. He displayed an early interest in drawing and design and was awarded a Diploma and Prize of $8 at the Lower Canada Provincial Exhibition of 1858 for a plan of Working Men's Dwellings (The Pilot [Montreal], 30 Sept. 1858, 2). He first advertised his services as an architect in late 1862 (Montreal Daily Transcript, 12 Dec. 1862, 2) and shortly after formed a partnership with Ovide Paris, but their business was dissolved in late 1863 and Garven continued to work under his own name until 1869. He joined with Andrew B. Taft in a new partnership of Taft & Garven in early 1869 (Evening Star [Montreal], 3 June 1869, 3, advert.), but this collaboration appears to have been short-lived., and it ended abruptly with the death of Garven on 6 February 1872, which occurred '.....as a result of over-indulgence in intoxicating drink' (obituary in Montreal Daily Witness, 7 Feb. 1872, 3).
(works in Montreal and area)
ST. LAMBERT, QUE, Wesleyan Methodist Church, for the Montreal East circuit, St. John's Road [later called Victoria Avenue], 1865 (Gazette [Montreal], 13 Sept. 1865, 3, descrip.; Evening Telegraph [Montreal], 13 Sept. 1865, 3, descrip.; Christian Guardian [Toronto], 20 Sept. 1865, 151; Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1, descrip.)
SCOTLAND STREET, near Aqueduct Street, six houses for William S. Evans, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1, descrip.; 22 March 1867, Supplement, 6)
MANSFIELD STREET, two houses for William Wilson, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1)
DORCHESTER STREET WEST, in Cote Ste. Antoine, 'Stanley Villa' for A.H. Forbes, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1, descrip.)
COLBORNE STREET, near Wellington Street, two cottages for J.W. Leslie, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1)
PHILLIPS SQUARE, at Cathcart Street, bakery and dwelling for Alfred Joyce, 1865; major addition, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1; 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
STE. FAMILLE STREET, two houses for William Wilson, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1; 22 March 1867, Supplement, 1, descrip.)
ST. LAWRENCE MAIN STREET, new facade and extensive improvements to store for Mrs. M. Guerin, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1)
STE. CATHERINE STREET WEST, at McGill College Avenue, two houses and a surgery for Dr. Robert T. Godfrey, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1)
DUBORD STREET, at Berri Street, residence for Henry J. Clarke, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1, descrip.)
COUVENT DE HOCHELAGA, Notre Dame Street East, addition of two wings, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1, descrip.)
AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, at Hochelaga, a new school house and chapel, 1865 (Montreal Herald, 19 Dec. 1865, 1, descrip.)
McGILL STREET, addition to store for McMillan & Carson, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 22 March 1867, Supplement, 4)
RICHMOND SQUARE, residence for Christopher Egan, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 22 March 1867, Supplement, 4; 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
LATOUR STREET, dwelling with two tenements for Charles Baillie, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 22 March 1867, Supplement, 6)
MANSE STREET, pair of houses for William Wilson, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 22 March 1867, Supplement, 6)
POINT ST. CHARLES, cottage for Mr. Black, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
WINSTANLEY HALL, Albert Street, a social hall for workers of the St. Lawrence Glass Works, erected by A. McK. Cochrane, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
WARMINGTON & DUNBAR, King Street, workshop building, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
GREY NUN STREET, two stores for A.B. Forbes, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
CRAIG STREET, two stores for Charles Baillie, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
ST. URBAIN STREET, four houses for Charles Pratt, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
GUY STREET, pair of houses for John Oxley and Mr. Smith, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2, descrip.)
SHERBROOKE STREET WEST, at Mountain Street, residence for A.H. Forbes, 1867-68 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2, descrip.)
METCALFE AVENUE, Cote St. Antoine, a residence for James Garven Jr., architect, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2, descrip.)
LACHINE, QUE., store and dwelling for William S. Evans, 1867 (Montreal Herald, 7 Dec. 1867, 2)
COTE STE. ANTOINE, a villa residence "....now in the course of construction", and available to let, 1869 (Evening Star [Montreal], 24 Feb. 1869, 3, advert.)