Robert England (architect)

Robert William England (8 June 1863 – 15 November 1908) was a prominent architect from Christchurch, New Zealand.

Early life

England was born on 8 June 1863 at Lyttelton.[1] His father, Robert West England, was a timber merchant who had come to Lyttelton from Warwickshire, England, in 1860.[2][3] England Jr. received his education at a Christchurch school.[3] Aged 19, he went to Birmingham to study architecture under Joseph Lancaster Ball, and in 1885, he was admitted to the Royal Institute of British Architects. He returned to Christchurch aged 23 and set up his own practice in 1886, and over time became a prominent architect.[4]

Professional career

England took on many prominent commissions. He designed McLean's Mansion for Allan McLean, which is still the country's largest timber residence. He laid out the show grounds for the A&P Society at Addington and built the office for Dalgety and Company in Cathedral Square. He designed the Ridley Building on the corner of Lichfield and Manchester Streets. He designed a number of churches, including Knox Church on Bealey Avenue, the St Albans Methodist Church, and the Ashburton Presbyterian Church.[5] He designed a large residential building at 85 Papanui Road. Originally known as Wardington,[6] it was purchased by Christchurch Girls' High School in 1921 as their boarding house, and is now known as the "Old House" within Acland House.[7][8] He designed Elm Tree House in Papanui Road that is registered as a Category II heritage building.[9] He designed a commercial building for Alfred Billens in High Street. Initially known as the England Brothers House, it was later known as Billens' Building. Damaged in the 2011 Christchurch earthquake, like all heritage buildings in that block of High Street, it was destroyed by arson in December 2012.[10] England designed the McDougall residence (now the administration building of Nurse Maude)[11] and the last building of A. J. White's Department Store on the corner of High and Tuam Streets.[12] He designed Acton House in Gisborne on the North Island; his client was originally from Christchurch and the house is now registered as Category I.[13] England worked on extensions of Riccarton House in Riccarton,[14] St Andrew's Church (at that time located adjacent to Christchurch Hospital, but since relocated to Rangi Ruru Girls' School),[15] and St Mary's Church in Halswell.[16]

England designed an iron chimney and applied for a patent. Subsequent to the 1888 North Canterbury and 1901 Cheviot earthquakes, it was claimed that his chimney was earthquake resistant.[17]

He took his younger brother Edward as his business partner, and the practice was then known as England Bros. Whilst his biography on the website of Heritage New Zealand states that the partnership commenced in 1906,[3] the Canterbury edition of The Cyclopedia of New Zealand published in 1903 already refers to "Messrs England Bros".[18] Contemporary newspaper advertisements state that his brother Edward joined the practice in July 1901.[19] England was unwell for some time and at the time of his death, the firm had commissions for the D.I.C. Building in Cashel Street, and new buildings for the Kaiapoi Woollen Company.[5]

Listed buildings

A number of his building are or were listed with Heritage New Zealand; many of those were demolished after the earthquakes and have thus been removed from the register.

Photo Name Completion Category Number Description
St Mary's Church, Halswell 1891 II 3135 significant extension and refurbishment of the church in 1890–91, with the new south transept housing the organ bought in 1892[16]
St Andrew's Church 1892 I 304 significant extension of the church, with the original building then forming the nave; the distinctive wheel window is England's design[15]
St Albans Wesleyan Church 1895 II 1923 new church for the Wesleyan community in St Albans, replacing an earlier church; demolished in 2013 after earthquake damage[20][21]
McDougall House 1898 II 1908 designed for Robert McDougall (the person who paid for the McDougall Art Gallery); since 1953 owned by the Nurse Maude Association[11][22]
McLean's Mansion 1900 I 300 situated in the Christchurch Central City, it is the country's largest timber residence; severely earthquake damaged and with an uncertain future[3][23]
Riccarton House 1900 I 1868 designer of the 1900 extension of this Riccarton residence; fully restored since the earthquakes[14]
Knox Church 1902 II 3723 new church replacing an earlier building designed by Samuel Farr; badly damaged in the earthquakes but fully restored[24]
Wharetiki House 1904 II 7551 Edwardian timber dwelling in Colombo Street, Christchurch, with circumstantial evidence that England was the probable architect; demolished in July 2011[25]
St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Ashburton 1907 II 1809 new church replacing the adjacent older one;[26] both buildings are still in use[27][28][29]
Acton House 1908 I 7235 residence of Henry White in Gisborne[13]
D.I.C. Building, Christchurch 1909 II 3096 retail premises that replaced an earlier building lost in a 1908 fire designed by England just before he died; demolished after the Christchurch earthquakes[30]
McKenzie & Willis store ca. 1910 II 1909 the last building built for A. J. White (adjacent to two former buildings in Tuam Street) and later part of McKenzie & Willis; façade kept after the earthquakes
Elm Tree House info missing II 1885 residential building at 236 Papanui Road, Christchurch; repaired since earthquakes[31]

Death

England died on 15 November 1908 from influenza at age 45 and was buried at Linwood Cemetery. He was survived by his wife and six children.[5]

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References

Media related to Robert England (architect) at Wikimedia Commons

  1. "Births". Lyttelton Times. XX (1112). 8 July 1863. p. 4. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  2. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Mr. Robert West England". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  3. "McLean's Mansion". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  4. "St Albans Wesleyan Church (Former)". Quakestudies. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  5. "Obituary". The Press. LXIV (13275). 17 November 1908. p. 7. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  6. "Deaths". The Sun. I (248). 23 November 1914. p. 1. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  7. "General News". The Press. LVII (17130). 27 April 1921. p. 6. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  8. "Old House, Acland House". Opus International Consultants Limited. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  9. "House (R.W. England)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  10. Lee, Francesca (10 December 2012). "Suspicions over central Christchurch fires". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  11. "McDougall Residence (Former)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
  12. "Office Building". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
  13. "Acton House and Garden". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  14. "Riccarton House". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  15. "St Andrew's Church (Presbyterian)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  16. "St Mary's Church (Anglican)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  17. "To Settlers in Cheviot, Amuri, and Outlying Districts". The Press. LIX (11170). 10 January 1902. p. 1. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  18. Cyclopedia Company Limited (1903). "Wesleyan Church". The Cyclopedia of New Zealand : Canterbury Provincial District. Christchurch: The Cyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  19. "Notice of Removal". The Press. LIX (11167). 7 January 1902. p. 8. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  20. "Register Records for St Albans Wesleyan Church, 163 Papanui Road, Christchurch". Quakestudies. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  21. "Damaged St Albans Methodist Church Papanui Road". Kete Christchurch. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  22. "Civic Trust Awards 2015" (PDF). Christchurch Civic Trust. October 2015. p. 4. Retrieved 12 July 2016.
  23. Broughton, Cate (7 July 2016). "McLean's Mansion saved from demolition". The Press. Retrieved 11 July 2016.
  24. "History". Knox Church. Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  25. Heather, Ben (27 July 2011). "Bid to save historic house fails". The Press. p. A12. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
  26. "St Andrew's Presbyterian Church (Former)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  27. "St Andrew's Presbyterian Church". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  28. "Ashburton Presbyterian Church". Ashburton Guardian. xxviii (6995). 8 October 1906. p. 4. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  29. "Ashburton Presbyterian Church". Ashburton Guardian. XXIX (7212). 25 June 1907. p. 3. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  30. "Cashfields". Quakestudies. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
  31. "House (R.W. England)". Register of Historic Places. Heritage New Zealand. Retrieved 18 July 2016.
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