CADHAM, James Henry (1850-1907) was a prolific builder, contractor and architect active in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Born in London, Ont. on 31 August 1850, he was the son of Thomas Cadham who owned and operated a wood sash and door factory in that town. He was educated at public schools in London before commencing an apprenticeship as a carpenter's assistant in 1866. He moved to Winnipeg in 1870, and after serving with the Red River Expeditionary Forces during the Metis uprising he opened a business as builder and contractor there in March 1871. It was not until 1895, however, that Cadham styled himself as an architect, specializing in the design of warehouse and industrial buildings and gaining respect for his honest and straightforward approach to business matters. He was '...an intensely practical man' for whom it was '...impossible to do anything savouring of dishonesty' (obituary Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 10 Dec. 1907, 1 and 11).
Cadham's warehouse buildings are among the first to introduce the brick masonry aesthetic and the influence of the Chicago School to the Manitoba area, and they differ from the robust stone buildings designed by his rivals Charles H. Wheeler and George C. Browne. The facades of his best works such as the Gurney Building (1896) and the Whitla Building (1899) are stripped of ornament and decoration, and are treated as smooth, continuous planes of masonry. His designs can often be recognized by the arrangement of windows which are paired in vertical rows and frequently terminated near the roof line by graceful brick arches that express the non-loadbearing nature of the exterior walls. In difficult building circumstances Cadham often demonstrated his skill and sensitivity when making additions to existing buildings. In his design for two additional stories on the McIntyre Block, Main Street (1906) he carefully conformed to the scale, proportion and range of materials used in the original facade created by Charles A. Barber in 1898. Cadham died in Winnipeg on 10 December 1907, and was buried at Elmwood Cemetery. His portrait and obituary can be found in the Winnipeg Free Press, 11 December 1907, 5 (biography in G. Bryce, A History of Manitoba: Its Resources and People, 1906, 493-94).
J.H. CADHAM (Commercial works in Winnipeg)
IMPERIAL DRY GOODS BLOCK, Main Street at Albert Street, 1900 (City of Winnipeg b.p. 237, 1900)
J. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT STORE, major addition at the rear of the property, facing Albert Street, 1902 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 5 June 1902, 8, descript.)
GREGG BUILDING, Albert Street, 1902 (City of Winnipeg b.p. 990, 1902)
O'CONNOR'S HOTEL, for W.J. O'Connor, Notre Dame Avenue East "...next to the National Trust Building", 1904 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 12 April 1904, 2, descrip.; Free Press [Winnipeg], 11 April 1904, 3, descrip.; C.A.B., xvii, Nov. 1904, 189)
MARTIN, BOLE, WYNNE DRUG CO., Main Street at Market Avenue, major addition, 1904 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 24 Nov. 1904, 18)
SCOTT FURNITURE CO., Main Street South near Graham Avenue, 1904; rebuilt 1905 (Winnipeg Tribune, 26 March 1904, 10, illus. & descrip.; Free Press [Winnipeg], 26 March 1904, 28, illus. & descrip.; and 24 Nov. 1904, 18-19; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 23 Sept. 1905, 11)
MARK FORTUNE CO., Portage Avenue near Garry Street, store and office block, 1903-04 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 9 May 1903, 10, illus. & descrip.; Free Press [Winnipeg], 8 Oct. 1904, 8, illus. & descrip.; and 24 Nov. 1904, 19)
ROBINSON & CO., Albert Street, addition to department store, 1905 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 25 March 1905, 9, illus. & descrip.)
WEST HOTEL, for J.H. Kern, Main Street at Sutherland Avenue, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 31 May 1905, 5, t.c.; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 23 Sept. 1905, 11; and 10 Nov. 1905, 2, descrip.)
ALLOWAY & CHAMPION, Main Street, banking and brokerage house, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 5 July 1905, 6, t.c.)
CORONA HOTEL, Notre Dame Avenue, near Main Street, 1905 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 17 July 1905, 4, descrip.)
MANITOBA HALL BLOCK, Portage Avenue, addition, 1905; altered 1965; demol. 1991 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 23 Sept. 1905, 11; Free Press [Winnipeg], Building Number, 30 Oct. 1905, 31, descrip. & illus.; Winnipeg, 1991-The Year Past, 1993, 49-52, illus.)
MCINTYRE BLOCK, Main Street, addition of two floors, 1906 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 Dec. 1906, 40, descrip. & illus.)
J.H. CADHAM (Industrial works in Winnipeg)
GURNEY STOVE CO., Rupert Avenue, warehouse, 1896; addition 1905 (City of Winnipeg, Plumbing permit 1059, 9 Nov. 1896, C.R., xv, 1 March 1905, 6)
GEORGE D. WOOD & CO., McDermot Avenue at Arthur Street, warehouse, 1898; addition 1902 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 20 May 1898, 7, descrip.; and 31 May 1902, 9, descrip.; Winnipeg Tribune, 4 June 1902, 10, descrip.; C.R., ix, 25 May 1898, 4; and 4 June 1902, 2, t.c.; Leonard K. Eaton, Gateway Cities & Other Essays, 1989,92-3, illus.)
ALLOWAY & CHAMPION, McDermot Street East, warehouse, 1898 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 7 April 1898, 5, t.c.; Winnipeg, 1985-The Year Past, 1987, 47-48, illus.)
R.J. WHITLA CO., Arthur Street at McDermot Avenue, warehouse, 1899; additions 1903, 1904 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 7 Feb. 1899, 2, t.c.; and 20 Feb. 1899, 3; C.R., xiv, 25 March 1903, 3; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 12 April 1904, 9, descrip.; Free Press [Winnipeg], 24 Nov. 1904, 18; and 18 Oct. 1906, 14, illus.; Early Buildings of Manitoba, 1973, 117, illus.; Leonard K. Eaton, Gateway Cities & Other Essays, 1989, 97-8, illus.)
DAYLIGHT BUILDING, Princess Street at McDermot Avenue, a warehouse for J.D. McArthur, 1899 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 21 June 1899, 2, t.c.; Winnipeg, 1987-The Year Past, 1989, 47-48, illus)
PAULIN-CHAMBERS & CO., Ross Avenue near Princess Street, factory, 1899 (Winnipeg Tribune, 14 March 1899, 2, descrip.; C.R., x, 22 March 1899, 4)
BLUE RIBBON MANUFACTURING CO., King Street, warehouse, 1901 (Winnipeg, 1983-The Year Past, 1984, 27-28, illus.)
McLAUGHLIN CARRIAGE CO., Princess Street, warehouse, 1902; addition 1906 (City of Winnipeg b.p. 727, 1902; Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 Dec. 1906, 37)
STOBART & SONS, McDermot Avenue at King Street, warehouse, 1902-03, addition 1907 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 20 Oct. 1902, 12, descript.; C.R., xiii, 29 Oct. 1902, 2; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.; City of Winnipeg b.p. 234, 1907; Winnipeg, 1983-The Year Past, 1984, 45-46, illus.; Leonard K. Eaton, Gateway Cities & Other Essays, 1989, 93-5, illus.)
GAULT BROS. & CO. LTD., Arthur Street at King Street and Bannatyne Avenue, additions to warehouse, 1903 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.; City of Winnipeg b.p. 284, 1903; Winnipeg, 1982-The Year Past, 1983, 19-20, illus.)
G. F. STEPHENS PAINT & GLASS CO. LTD., Market Street East, major addition to warehouse, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 25 Feb. 1903, 4, t.c.; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.)
GREENSHIELDS WESTERN LTD., King Street at Arthur Street, warehouse, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 27 May 1903, 3, t.c.; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.)
KEMP MANUFACTURING CO., McDermot Street East, factory, 1903; major addition, 1906 (C.R., xiv, 19 August 1903, 6, t.c.; Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.; Free Press [Winnipeg], 26 May 1906, 33, illus.; and 6 Dec. 1906, 36, illus.)
WRIGHT & VAN VLIET, William Avenue, factory, 1903 (C.R., xiv, 16 Sept. 1903, 3)
PRAIRIE LUMBER CO., Sutherland Avenue, warehouse, 1903 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 14 Nov. 1903, 18, illus.)
RAT PORTAGE LUMBER CO., Gomez Street at Higgins Avenue, door & sash factory, 1903 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 14 Nov. 1903, 18, 20, illus.)
DINGLE & STEWART CO., Stanley Street, warehouse, 1903 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.)
A. MacDONALD CO., Market Street East, large addition to warehouse, 1903 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.)
COLTART & CAMERON LTD., Bannatyne Street East, major additin to warehouse, 1903 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 19 Dec. 1903, 27, descrip.)
PORTAGE AVENUE EAST, major addition to warehouse for George Velie, 1904 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 22 April 1904, 12)
MILLER, MORSE & CO., McDermot Avenue at Adelaide Street, warehouse, 1904 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 30 May 1904, 7, illus. & descrip.; and 24 Nov. 1904, 17-18, illus.; C.A.B., xvii, June 1904, 102)
TELFER BROS., Lombard Avenue, warehouse, 1904 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 30 May 1904, 7 illus. & descrip.; 24 Nov. 1904, 18)
G.F. & J. GALT, Princess Street, addition to warehouse, 1904 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 24 Nov. 1904, 18; and 6 Dec. 1906, 36-37, descrip.)
HARRY LEADLEY CO., Ross Avenue, a 4 storey warehouse, 1905 (C.R., xvi, 19 April 1905, 6, t.c.; Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 26 April 1905, Section Two, p. 3, illus. & descrip.)
G.F. STEPHENS PAINT & GLASS CO., Market Street East, addition of two floors, 1905 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 8 July 1905, 8, descrip.)
TREES, SPRIGGS CO., Princess Street, warehouse, 1905 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 12 Aug. 1905, 19, illus. & descrip.; C.R., xvi, 16 Aug. 1905, 6)
W.J. GUEST FISH CO., on the Transfer Railway at the foot of Alexander Avenue, warehouse, 1905 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg],12 Aug. 1905, 19, illus. & descrip.)
KEMP MANUFACTURING CO., Lombard Street, a six storey factory, 1906 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 16 April 1906, 17)
FROST & WOOD CO., Princess Street at Pacific Avenue, warehouse, 1906-07 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 Dec. 1906, 36, descrip. & illus.)
TEES & PERSSE CO., William Avenue, warehouse, 1906 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 Dec. 1906, 36, descrip.)
GROSE & WALKER, Stanley Street, warehouse, 1906 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 6 Dec. 1906, 37, descrip.)
J. ROBINSON & CO., a large two storey brick stable block, intended for one of two locations, either at York Avenue at Smith Street, or on Gertie Street near McDermot Avenue, 1907 (Winnipeg Tribune, 26 March 1907, 3)
J.H. CADHAM (Institutional works in Winnipeg)
MANITOBA MEDICAL COLLEGE, Bannatyne Avenue at Emily Street, 1905; still standing in 2023 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 1 July 1905, 7, illus. & descrip.; and Building Number, 30 Oct. 1905, 20, illus. & descrip.; and 6 Dec. 1906, 45-46, descrip. & illus.)
J.H. CADHAM (Residential works in Winnipeg)
BARRETT APARTMENT BLOCK, Edmonton Street near Broadway, 1906 (Winnipeg Daily Tribune, 7 Sept. 1906, 10, descrip.)
ALEXANDRA BLOCK, Graham Avenue at Edmonton Street, apartments for the Barrett Brothers, 1906 (Free Press [Winnipeg], 26 May 1906, 33, illus.; and 6 Dec. 1906, 54)
J.H. CADHAM (works elsewhere)
REGINA, SASK., Drewry's Beer Brewery, Dewdney Street at Toronto Street, a new brewery and cellar, for Edward L. Drewry and Frederick W. Drewry of Winnipeg, 1903 (Daily Leader [Regina], 19 Jan. 1903, 1)
FORT FRANCES, ONT., Town Hall & Fire Hall, 1905-06 (Manitoba Free Press [Winnipeg], 25 Dec. 1905, 12, illus.)