Campbell, John George William | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada

CAMPBELL, John George William (1870-1943) was born in Dartmouth, N.S. on 31 July 1870 and attended Halifax County Academy. He was active in Sydney Mines, N.S. from August 1900 to October 1901 where he advertised himself as an architect and designed the Cape Breton Silicate Brick Co., Purves Street, NORTH SYDNEY, N.S., 1901-02 (Daily Record [Sydney], 15 Aug. 1902, 5, descrip.). In 1903 he joined the Mabou & Gulf Railway Co. and served as Town Engineer in Sydney Mines from 1904 to 1912. While there he submitted as design in the competition for a public school for the town, but his scheme was not premiated (dwgs. at PANS). He moved to the United States in January 1912 to attend Ohio Northern University at Ada, Ohio, and graduated in civil engineering in August 1914. After his return to Halifax he held various positions at the Halifax Dockyard and with the Nova Scotia Telephone and Power Co. In 1918 he entered another competition for Park School in Dartmouth, but again his plans were not premiated (dwgs. at PANS). From 1919 to 1929 he was Town Engineer at Truro, N.S. and was successful in obtaining the commission there to design St. James Presbyterian Church, Prince Street, TRURO, N.S., 1928 (Halifax Herald, 22 Nov. 1928, 11, illus. & descrip.; Truro News, 5 Jan. 1929, 2, descrip. & illus.). In 1930 he returned to Halifax to join the Harbour Commission and later was employed as engineer for the Dept. of National Defence. He died in Halifax on 30 March 1943 (obituary Morning Herald [Halifax], 31 March 1943, 4; inf. Garry D. Shutlak, Halifax)