Architect.
Born at Broughty Ferry, Scotland on 21 March 1881, he trained as a draftsman in Scotland before moving to England where he worked as an architect from 1902 to 1907. He emigrated to Winnipeg in 1908, working briefly for architect Hugh Gordon Holman then forming a partnership with him from 1909 to 1910. He designed apartment blocks, private residences, and educational buildings. His best known work is St. John’s Anglican Cathedral (1925-1926) done collaboratively with Gilbert C. Parfitt. After 1950, he was partner in the architectural firm of Prain & Ward, and later consultant to its successor, Ward & McDonald. On 30 September 1909, he married Elizabeth Jane Williamson (1879-1962) and they had a son, Frederick Kennedy Prain (1910-1910), who died at their apartment in Victoria Court. He retired in December 1957 and died at his Winnipeg home, 126 Mossdale Avenue, on 29 January 1958. He was buried in the Old Kildonan Cemetery.
Some of his architectural works in Manitoba:
Building |
Location |
Year |
Status |
Scott Residence |
190 Kingsway Avenue, Winnipeg |
1910 |
|
Acadia Apartments |
590 Victor Street, Winnipeg |
1911 |
|
Verona Apartments |
730 Victor Street, Winnipeg |
1911 |
|
Scott Apartments |
426 Maryland Street, Winnipeg |
1912 |
Demolished (2020) |
Lanark Apartments |
693 Maryland Street, Winnipeg |
1912 |
|
Governor Semple School |
Jefferson Avenue, Winnipeg |
1913 |
|
Centennial School |
Royal Avenue, Winnipeg |
1913 |
|
Westholme Apartments |
729 Wellington Avenue, Winnipeg |
1913 |
|
Elvira Court |
116 Emily Street, Winnipeg |
1914 |
Demolished (?) |
Salisbury School No. 2 |
795 Prince Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg |
1920 |
|
Cathedral Church of St. John |
135 Anderson Avenue, Winnipeg |
1926 |
|
St. Patrick’s and St. Jude’s Anglican Church |
612 Valour Road, Winnipeg |
1926 |
|
St. John’s Presbyterian Church |
251 Bannerman Avenue, Winnipeg |
1928 |
|
Donald McLeod School No. 2221 |
270 Wallace Avenue, RM of East St. Paul |
1930 |
|
Deer Lodge United Church |
2093 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg |
1947 |
|
Lord Kitchener School / John Pritchard School (expansion) |
1490 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg |
1947 |
|
Charleswood School (renovations) |
Roblin Boulevard, RM of Charleswood |
1947 |
|
West St. Paul School |
3740 Main Street, RM of West St. Paul |
1947 |
|
Centennial School (expansion) |
240 Royal Avenue, Winnipeg |
c1948 |
|
Rosedale United Church |
525 Beresford Avenue, Winnipeg |
1949 |
|
Salisbury School No. 1 (renovations) |
795 Prince Rupert Avenue, Winnipeg |
1949 |
|
Daerwood School |
211 Main Street, Selkirk |
1949 |
|
Governor Semple School |
150 Hartford Avenue, Winnipeg |
1950 |
|
Lord Wolseley School (four-classroom brick and concrete addition) |
939 Henderson Highway, Winnipeg |
1950 |
|
New Rosewell School |
1455 Molson Street, Winnipeg |
1950 |
|
Victory School (six-classroom expansion) |
395 Jefferson Avenue, Winnipeg |
1950 |
|
Memorial Hall Building |
368 Jemima Street, Selkirk |
1951 |
|
Dieppe School |
530 Dieppe Road, Winnipeg |
1952 |
|
Royal School |
450 Laxdal Road, Winnipeg |
1952 |
|
Libau School |
Libau, RM of St. Clements |
1952 |
|
Richard School District No. 1092 (renovations) |
Somerset |
1952 |
|
Viscount Alexander School (expansion) |
810 Waterford Avenue, Winnipeg |
1952 |
|
John Black School |
McPhillips Street, Winnipeg |
1952 |
|
Chalmers United Church (expansion) |
Spruce Street at Barrett Avenue, Winnipeg |
1953 |
|
West St. Paul School (expansion) |
3740 Main Street, RM of West St. Paul |
1953 |
|
East Kildonan School District No. 14 (two six-classroom frame, stucco, and concrete slab buildings) |
Winnipeg |
c1953 |
|
Fort Garry School District No. 2047 (10-classroom concrete, frame and brick veneer building) |
Winnipeg |
c1953 |
|
Riverview School (expansion) |
Casey Street, Winnipeg |
c1953 |
|
Transcona School (12-classroom concrete, frame, and brick veneer building) |
Winnipeg |
c1953 |
|
Westview School |
600 Hoka Street, Winnipeg |
1953 |
|
West Kildonan Collegiate |
800 Salter Street, Winnipeg |
1953 |
|
Fort Garry Municipal Building and Fire Hall |
1350 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg |
1954 |
|
Devonshire School (expansion) |
Selkirk |
1954 |
|
Great Falls School District No. 2011 (school building) |
Great Falls |
1954 |
|
Royal School (expansion) |
450 Laxdal Road, Winnipeg |
1954 |
|
West Kildonan Collegiate (expansion) |
800 Salter Street, Winnipeg |
1954 |
|
Crane School |
888 Crane Avenue, Winnipeg |
1955 |
|
Melrose Junior High School |
Roch Street at Melrose Avenue, Winnipeg |
1955 |
|
New Rosewell School (expansion) |
1455 Molson Street, Winnipeg |
1955 |
|
Miles MacDonell Collegiate (expansion) |
Winnipeg |
1956 |
|
Selkirk Collegiate Institute / Selkirk Junior High School |
516 Stanley Avenue, Selkirk |
1956 |
|
Viscount Alexander School (expansion) |
810 Waterford Avenue, Winnipeg |
1956 |
|
Rosedale United Church (expansion) |
525 Beresford Avenue, Winnipeg |
1957 |
|
St. Vital United Church |
St. Vital |
1957 |
|
Radisson School |
1105 Winona Street, Winnipeg |
1957 |
|
Westview School (expansion) |
600 Hoka Street, Winnipeg |
1957 |
|
West Kildonan Collegiate (expansion) |
800 Salter Street, Winnipeg |
1957 |
|
Red River School (expansion) |
2400 Main Street, Winnipeg |
1957 |
|
Crane School (expansion) |
888 Crane Avenue, Winnipeg |
1958 |
|
Templeton School |
2536 McPhillips Street, Winnipeg |
1958 |
|
Sources:
Marriage registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Obituary [Fredrick Kennedy Prain], Winnipeg Tribune, 27 December 1910, page 5.
“Deer Lodge United to dedicate church,” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 January 1947, page 10.
“Tenders,” Winnipeg Free Press, 31 January 1947, page 16.
“Tenders [Lord Kitchener School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 4 April 1947, page 2.
“Tenders [Charleswood School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 27 June 1947, page 22.
“Tenders [Libau School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 26 September 1947, page 24.
“School District of West Kildonan No. 8,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 August 1948, page 19.
“Tenders [Selkirk School District No. 69],” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 January 1949, page 17.
“Old and new churches filled at Rosedale United dedication,” Winnipeg Free Press, 7 March 1949, page 7.
“Tenders [Victory School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 October 1949, page 6.
“Tenders [Salisbury School No. 1],” Winnipeg Free Press, 27 October 1949, page 52.
“Tenders [Lord Wolseley School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 January 1950, page 27.
“Tenders [North Kildonan School District No. 2116],” Winnipeg Free Press, 8 March 1950, page 29.
“Tenders [Memorial Hall],” Winnipeg Free Press, 5 June 1951, page 26.
“Tenders [Charleswood schools],” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 June 1951, page 25.
“Tenders [... Richard School District],” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 June 1952, page 30.
“Tenders for addition to school building,” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 August 1952, page 33.
“Chalmers’ United plans enlargement,” Winnipeg Free Press, 24 January 1953, page 34.
“Tenders,” Winnipeg Free Press, 21 March 1953, page 37.
“Tenders [East Kildonan Schools],” Winnipeg Free Press, 6 April 1953, page 29.
“Tenders [School, Fort Garry],” Winnipeg Free Press, 25 April 1953, page 40.
“Municipal Hall of Fort Garry soon started,” Winnipeg Free Press, 14 May 1953, page 8.
“Tenders [Royal School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 March 1954, page 39.
“Tenders [Devonshire School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 April 1954, page 43.
“E. Kildonan lets contract for school,” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 May 1954, page 3.
“Tenders [Great Falls School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 16 June 1954, page 43.
“Tenders [New Rosewell School],” Winnipeg Free Press, 19 March 1955, page 41.
“Tenders [Miles MacDonell Collegiate],” Winnipeg Free Press, 11 April 1955, page 29.
“Tenders [High School, Selkirk],” Winnipeg Free Press, 17 March 1956, page 22.
“Tenders,” Winnipeg Free Press, 2 April 1957, page 15.
“Tenders [Transcona School District No. 69],” Winnipeg Free Press, 20 April 1957, page 26.
“New St. Vital United Church to be ready for Christmas,” Winnipeg Free Press, 29 June 1957, page 33.
“A record of growth since 1910,” Winnipeg Free Press, 23 November 1957, page 35.
“Veteran architect Edgar Prain dies,” Winnipeg Free Press, 30 January 1958, page 16.
Winnipeg Building Index.
Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, 1800-1950 by Robert G. Hill, Toronto.
Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough and Nathan Kramer.
Page revised: 24 November 2020
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