John Teague

John Teague ( born June 1833 in Cornwall, England; † 25 October 1902 in Victoria, British Columbia ) was a British- Canadian architect.

Arriving in British Columbia

John Teague left England in 1856 and on 19 May, with the intention to emigrate to Costa Rica and there to join his uncle. However, U.S. military actions in Central America in the same year led to interrupt his trip him in New York. Teague finally decided to settle in California. The local gold rush was over only a few years. Teague found work as a general contractor, he built, among other buildings for various mining companies. During the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush in 1858, Teague traveled to the California gold fields in the Fraser River. Here he used on the City of Victoria 's leading route. Governor James Douglas had access to the newly founded colony of British Columbia only allowed through Victoria. Later, Teague involved in the Cariboo Gold Rush.

Teague as an architect

Beginning of the architectural career

1860 Teague was active in his old job again, this time for the Royal Navy in Esquimalt, Vancouver Iceland. Many of his works still exist today and are evidence of Teague's professional competence. The mid-1860s began Teague, who worked primarily as a contractor before, to describe themselves as an architect and set up a branch in Victoria one. His first job was in 1874 documented the construction of the Church of Our Lord, a church of the Reformed Episcopal Church. Construction was completed in 1876. In 1998 the church was declared a Federal Heritage Building and pulls as national historic site many visitors and tourists.

In the second half of the 19th century witnessed the rise of Victoria Teague, a town of less than 5,000 inhabitants, the capital of British Columbia, a town of about 35,000 inhabitants, which represented and economically one of the centers of the Pacific Northwest. This development also had an impact on Teague's orders.

Success and work

Teague's aggressive approach and his political contacts made ​​it possible for him to put some other more well-known architects under pressure. His architectural firm was one of the most successful in the history of Victoria. More than any other Teague coined the architecture of the city from the late 1870s to the early 1890s. His influence in this regard is still in the old business district of the city, where he built dozens of blocks, clearly to be found today. His buildings have with their Backsteinstrukur and the Victorian Italianate style ( similar to the neo-baroque ) on influences from Teague's Californian past. In his later works, such as the Driad Hotel (1892 ), Teague experimented with the architectural style of the Chicago School.

In addition to business buildings, several of the most significant buildings of Victoria Teague architects come. Developed in the 1870s, Victoria City Hall and the Masonic Temple, St. Joseph 's, the Royal Jubilee Hospital and the Royal Navy Hospital, as well as the residences of brick manufacturers Maurice Humber and the Roman Catholic Bishop, but also the St Ann's Academy are here to mention.

Private life and retirement

Since July 1863, Teague was married to Emily Abington. From this marriage four children were born. December 1892 he married in Victoria for a second time, this time Eliza Lazenby.

Teague was an active member of the Presbyterian and Freemason. He served as alderman and held the office of the mayor of Victoria held. In addition, he was a member of the British Columbia Pioneer Society.

Generous to his friends and impoverished by unwise investments, Teague died in 1902, so much possession as he was about four decades ago come to Victoria.