Fonds consists of two series: I. St. Mary's Parish, ca.1945-1983, 0.16 cm, and contains two sub-series: A. Architecture, ca.1945-1983 (architectural plans, general information); B. Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings (pertaining to Father McGuinness and St. Mary's Parish), 1950-1978. II. McGuinn…
1.11 cm of textual records (34 pages : 29 x 42 cm or smaller) -- 9 architectural drawings : annotations ; 89 x 58 cm or smaller
History / Biographical
Originally from ancient Iveagh, which is now County Down, Ireland, the McGuinness family eventually migrated to Liverpool at an unknown time. The McGuinness family were provision merchants in Liverpool, but found supplies limited so they emigrated to Canada. Born on June 20, 1886 in Liverpool, Father Robert James McGuinness moved to Belleville, Ontario, Canada with his family in 1890. He had 7 brothers and sisters, including Oswald A. McGuinness, who settled in Invermere, British Columbia.
Robert attended St. Lawrence College in Ampleforth, Yorkshire, and completed his studies at St. Servan in Rhiems, France, qualifying as an engineer. He held a position with the federal government upon his return to Canada, however when World War I broke out Robert served in the 29th Battalion of CRTS building pontoons behind European battle lines. After returning to Canada, Robert worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway as an architectural engineer, which brought him west to Banff, Alberta. Robert was the resident architectural engineer overlooking the construction of the Banff Springs Hotel expansion in the 1920's.
In the late 1920's, Robert traveled to Rome to enter the seminary and four years later he was ordained as a priest. After serving as priest in Calgary, Robert was appointed Catholic priest in Banff in 1936, where he lived and worked until his death in 1961. To fulfill a personal dream, Robert designed and supervised the construction of the new church building and grounds for St. Mary's Parish (St. Mary's of the Assumption) which was completed in 1951. During his years in Europe, Robert visited ancient churches and cathedrals which influenced the design of the church, primarily the Norman Chateau architectural style.
Robert was also a talented artist. Some of his work can be seen in galleries in New York and in Banff. His work has been reproduced for Canadian Pacific Railway tourism material, including the Spiral Tunnels postcard included in this fonds.
Robert died in Calgary on June 17, 1961, just shy of his 75th birthday, after being ill for a few months.
Scope & Content
Fonds consists of two series:
I. St. Mary's Parish, ca.1945-1983, 0.16 cm, and contains two sub-series: A. Architecture, ca.1945-1983 (architectural plans, general information); B. Correspondence and Newspaper Clippings (pertaining to Father McGuinness and St. Mary's Parish), 1950-1978.
II. McGuinness Family, 1953-1977, 1 cm (private records, including handwritten notes, a memoir, and a postcard).
Notes
. IYounger brother Oswald was a surveyor who built the road from Invermere to Calgary
There is some indication that Robert had a role in the construction of the Bow River Bridge or the collection of the stones used for the bridge, but this is unconfirmed
General colour: green, orange. Central image is a house. Half of the roof is tiled with orange brick. There are trees to the left and behind. In front are fields and a cross the bottom, is a brown fence. Sky is grey.
General colour: green, orange. Central image is a house. Half of the roof is tiled with orange brick. There are trees to the left and behind. In front are fields and a cross the bottom, is a brown fence. Sky is grey.
General colour: brown on white. Three buildings - lake in front - trees behind - a flag pole with flag rises behind the house at the right. The house at the left has a chimney and is long and narrow.
General colour: brown on white. Three buildings - lake in front - trees behind - a flag pole with flag rises behind the house at the right. The house at the left has a chimney and is long and narrow.
General colour: blue grey, brown, pink. Two elevators stand at the right side on the horizon. A train chugs past on the left. The foreround is brown fields - a fence appears from the left. The sky fills the upper two thirds and is spotted with clouds.
General colour: blue grey, brown, pink. Two elevators stand at the right side on the horizon. A train chugs past on the left. The foreround is brown fields - a fence appears from the left. The sky fills the upper two thirds and is spotted with clouds.
General colour: blue, grey. A walkway with a fence runs in a crescent shape from lower center left to a third the way up the right side. A tree fills the left side and several more trees and a large white building fill the middle. Tide is out and figures walk the beach left and on the board walk al…
General colour: blue, grey. A walkway with a fence runs in a crescent shape from lower center left to a third the way up the right side. A tree fills the left side and several more trees and a large white building fill the middle. Tide is out and figures walk the beach left and on the board walk also. Sky has clouds.
Colour: blue, orange red. Central image is a four wheeled vehicle with a tank and a long black handled pump. It stands in green grass. Behind is a large building: the back part of which is yellow, the front purple brown. A few figures can be seen by the door at the left side. Above are telegraph po…
Colour: blue, orange red. Central image is a four wheeled vehicle with a tank and a long black handled pump. It stands in green grass. Behind is a large building: the back part of which is yellow, the front purple brown. A few figures can be seen by the door at the left side. Above are telegraph poles and blue sky.
Colour: green, purple, red, yellow. The lower canvas is a town. Beyond that is a pale green river which goes across, upright and then left a bit. On either side as it goes into the distance are green hills becoming purple in the distance. A grey yellow sky fills the upper area.
Colour: green, purple, red, yellow. The lower canvas is a town. Beyond that is a pale green river which goes across, upright and then left a bit. On either side as it goes into the distance are green hills becoming purple in the distance. A grey yellow sky fills the upper area.
Colour: blue, black, green, ochre. A road goes up from the lower center towards the right. On the right side of the road are five telegraph poles receding into the distance. On the left side are buildings. The front one is white and built of stone or brick. In the background is a hillside which goe…
Colour: blue, black, green, ochre. A road goes up from the lower center towards the right. On the right side of the road are five telegraph poles receding into the distance. On the left side are buildings. The front one is white and built of stone or brick. In the background is a hillside which goes up at an angle from the left to he upper right. Clear blue sky fills in the rest.