Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

English architect, active from the 1910s until his retirement in 1961.(1) He served in the first world war and afterwards worked in Singapore, where his architectural drawings of the City Hall secured him his RIBA qualification. During the later 1920s and early 1930s Brown worked in Ireland for the Irish Sailors' & Soldiers' Land Trust, which set up an office at 30 Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin in 1925, later moving to 50/51 Lower Mount Street.(2) He designed cottages for the Trust at Ballyshannon, Athlone, Galway, and Cabra, Co. Dublin.(3) He left Ireland in 1933 or 1934; he served in Whitehall during the second world war, and was ordered by Churchill to find more small ships for the evacuation of Dunkirk. He later worked for the Ministry of Housing and Local Government in England and drew up plans for council estates such as Falcon Lodge, Birmingham. He was given the freedom of the city of Lichfield and as the Ministry's Principal Regional Architect for the South Western Region, he was awarded the OBE in 1956.

RIAI: elected member, 1925; resigned, 1934.(4)
RIBA: elected associate, 1919; elected fellow, 1927.(5)

Addresses: Work: 30 Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin, <=1926-1928; 50/51 Upper Mount Street, 1929->=1932.
Home: 4 Grosvenor Square, Rathmines, 1927.(5)

See WORKS.



References

All information in this entry is from RIAI membership lists and RIBA Kalendar 1957-1958, 107 (and also supplied by a descendant, by email, January 2018) unless otherwise attributed.

(1) RIBA Kalendar 1964-65, 298.
(2) See F.H.A. Aalen, 'Homes for Irish heroes: housing under the Irish Land (Provision for Soldiers and Sailors) Act 1919, and the Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust', Town Planning Review 59, no. 3, July 1988, 305-323.
(3) Architect & Building News 122, 25 Oct,29 Nov 1929, 522,684; 127, 25 Sep 1931, 364; 129, 29 Jan,5,12 Feb 1932, 178,208,238.
(4) JRIAI (1935), 19.
(5) RIBAJ 34 (1926-1927), 229.
(6) See note 5, above.


8 work entries listed in chronological order for BROWN, WALTER JAMES #


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Building: CO. WESTMEATH, ATHLONE, HOUSES (008)
Date: 1929
Nature: Tenders invited for builidng 8 houses for Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust
Refs: Irish Times, 14 Nov 1929;  Architect & Building News 122, 29 Nov 1929, 684

Building: CO. DONEGAL, BALLYSHANNON, HOUSES (004)
Date: 1929
Nature: For Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust
Refs: Architect & Building News 122, 25 Oct 1929, 522

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, MILLTOWN, HOUSES (058)
Date: 1929
Nature: 58 new houses for Irish Sailors' and Soldiers Land Trust, 'recently completed' in Jun 1929.  Contractor: S. Henly & Sons, 6 & 7 Fair Street, Drogheda.  Clerk of Works: H. Baker.
Refs: Irish Times, 27 Jun 1929 (illus.).

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, KILLESTER, HOUSES (042)
Date: 1929
Nature: Tenders invited for erecting 42 new houses for Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust, Aug 1929.
Refs: Irish Times, 29 Aug 1929.

Building: CO. KILKENNY, KILKENNY, HOUSES
Date: 1930
Nature: Designs for same for Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust

Refs: 1 drawing, 1930, in IAA, Edward Cullen Collection, Acc. 2004/160 (not on public access).

Building: CO. GALWAY, GALWAY, HOUSES (012)
Date: 1931
Nature: For Irish Sailors' & Soldiers' Land Trust
Refs: Architect & Building News 127, 25 Sep 1931, 364

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, CABRA, HOUSES (076)
Date: 1932
Nature: For Irish Sailors' and Soldiers' Land Trust
Refs: Architect & Building News 129, 29 Jan,5,12 Feb 1932, 178,208,238

Building: CO. CORK, MITCHELSTOWN, HOUSES (004)
Date: 1933
Nature: Tenders invited for erecting 4 cottages for Irish Sailors' & Soldiers' Land Trust, Apr 1933.
Refs:  Irish Times, 21 Apr 1933.