COWAN, Charles Edward (1865-1930) was born in Monkton, Peel Township, Wellington County, Ont. on 19 January 1865 and moved to Berlin (now Kitchener) in 1886. He articled there with Jonas Knechtel and with Henry Braniff and worked as a contractor before commencing practice in 1902. Cowan specialised in industrial and commercial buildings erected during the rapid growth of the town after 1900. He was briefly in partnership with his brother William C. Cowan. He was also one of the few Canadian architects from western Ontario to obtain membership in the Royal Inst. of British Architects in London, England, and his Application Form submitted in February 1911 provides valuable information on the projects which he had completed in Kitchener between 1907 and 1910. Charles E. died in Kitchener on 6 June 1930 (obit. Kitchener Daily Record, 7 June 1930, 21; biog. R.I.B.A., Directory of British Architects 1834-1914, 2001, i, 447)
Charles E. COWAN (works in Kitchener, Ont.)
OTTO STREET, residence for Aaron Schiedel, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
COURTLAND AVENUE, residence for James Sheppard, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
WILHELM STREET, residence for Samuel Dawson, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
MILL STREET, residence for Fred Witte, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
WATER STREET, residence for Frank White, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
QUEEN STREET, extensive additions to residence for George Schlee, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
WILHELM STREET, at Edward Street, seven houses for Simeon Brubacher, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
ROLAND STREET, residence for William Kruse, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
MANSION STREET, residence for P.K. Weber, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
OTTO STREET, residence for J.K Master, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
ALMA STREET, residence for Martin Huehuergard, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
LANG TANNING CO., Francis Street South, large addition to factory, 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
ICE ARENA & AUDITORIUM, Queen Street, 1904 (Berlin News Record [Kitchener], 6 April 1904, 1)
KITCHENER PUBLIC MARKET, 1907 (Daily Telegraph [Berlin], 21 March 1907, 1). This commission was initially awarded to Ignatius Wey, but Council later gave the project of Charles E. Cowan (Berlin News Record [Kitchener], 5 March 1907, 1.
ISOLATION HOSPITAL, at Woodside Park, 1909-10 (Berlin News Record [Kitchener], 6 Oct. 1909, 1, with correction from an earlier article which erroneously credited Charles Knechtel for this design, and Berlin News Record [Kitchener], 13 May 1911, 1)
QUEEN STREET NORTH, residence for Lt. Col. Frank Davis, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
MENNONITE CHURCH, King Street East, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
KIMMEL FELT CO., a new factory, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
LANG TANNING CO., Francis Street South, factory, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
MERCHANTS RUBBER CO., Breithaupt Street, factory, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
L. McBRINE & CO., Charles Street, factory, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
J. Y. SHANTZ & SON CO., factory, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
LIPPERT TABLE CO., Louisa Street, factory, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
INTERIOR HARDWOOD CO., Wilmot Street, factory, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Membership Files, London, England, February 1911)
WEBER CHAMBERS, King Street West, a 4 storey office block, for I.S.K. Weber, 1910 (C.R., xxv, 15 Feb. 1911, 23, illus. in advert.)
ROMAN CATHOLIC SEPARATE SCHOOL, Charon Street (now Moore Street), 1912-13 (Berlin News Record [Kitchener], 27 Oct. 1911, 1, descrip.;. Tiesen, edit., Berlin Canada, 1912, 230, illus.)
Charles E. COWAN (works elsewhere in Canada)
OTTAWA, ONT., factory for Lang Tannery Ltd., 1904 (Berlin News Record (Kitchener), 30 March 1904, 1, list of works)
TORONTO, ONT., Mennonite Church, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Application Form, Feb.1911, list of works)
MEDICINE HAT, ALTA., Evangelical Church, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Application Form, Feb.1911, list of works)
REGINA, SASK., Evangelical Church, c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Application Form, Feb.1911, list of works)
PENETANG, ONT., additions to factory for Breithaupt Leather Co., c. 1910 (R.I.B.A. Application Form, Feb.1911, list of works)
ST. GEORGE, ONT., Baptist Church, Beverley Street East near Reid Street, 1911; still standing in 2024 (Berlin News Record, 22 March 1911, 7)
(with William C. Cowan) WATERLOO, ONT., remodelling of the office building for Waterloo Mutual Fire Insurance Co., 1916 (Berlin News Record, 13 March 1916, 6)