Croke, Nicholas | Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada

CROKE, Nicholas (c. 1800-1850) was born in Ireland, perhaps in New Ross, Wexford County, and by 1820 had moved to Newfoundland where he worked in his trade as a carpenter and builder. By 1836 he was listed in contemporary sources as an 'architect', and earlier had played a role in the design of a plain and unadorned Georgian scheme for the Orphan Asylum School, Garrison Hill at Queen's Road, ST. JOHN'S, NFLD., 1827; demol. (inf. Shane O'Dea, St. John's). The building was altered in 1844 by James Purcell in 1844 and served as the Legislature for the Newfoundland government after the Great Fire of 1846. Croke also prepared a serviceable design for the New Commercial Building, ST. JOHN'S, NFLD., 1842, a work described as possessing an 'unhandsome exterior' (Newfoundland Patriot, 17 Aug. 1842). Croke was government contractor in the colony in 1836-38 and built several courthouses in the outports of Brigus, Ferryland, Carbonear, Harbour Breton, Old Perlican and Twillingate. He died in St. John's on 8 December 1850 (obit Royal Gazette [St. John's], 10 Dec. 1850, 3; biog. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vii, 1988, 220)