James Fowler (11 December 1828 – 10 October 1892), known as 'Fowler of Louth', is best known as a Victorian English church architect and associated with the restoration and renovation of churches. However, he was also the architect of a wide variety of other buildings. A listing of his work compiled in 1991 traced over 210 buildings that he designed or restored. He is known to be the architect for 24 new churches and his work also included 40 vicarages or rectories, 13 schools, four almshouses, a Savings Bank, a convalescent home and hospital as well as country houses and estate housing. Most of Fowler’s work was in Lincolnshire and particularly around Louth, but he also worked in the East Riding of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Suffolk, London, Sussex and Devon.
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Career and architectural practice
Fowler was born in Lichfield. He was a pupil of Lichfield architect Joseph Potter junior. He came to Louth in 1849, when he was employed in the construction of the Louth House of Correction (demolished 1885). He was probably working for James Sandby Padley, who was the County Surveyor for the Lincolnshire parts of Lindsey. He undertook other work for Padley, including illustrations of the Lincoln Greyfriars in Padley's Selections from the Ancient Monastic Ecclesiastical and Domestic edifices of Lincolnshire which was published in 1851. At Louth he was initially in partnership with Joseph Maughan, a surveyor and lithographer in Grimsby. The partnership lasted from 1851 until June 1859. On dissolution, it was agreed that the Surveying Department will hereafter be conducted by Mr. Maughan, and the Architectural Department by Mr. Fowler, at their usual places of business in both towns (Grimsby and Louth). Fowler had probably continued the practice of Charles John Carter, a Louth architect and surveyor, who had died in 1851.
Fowler was elected FRIBA in 1864. Amongst his pupils was Ernest William Farebrother, an architect who worked in Grimsby. He was a Surveyor for the Diocese of Lincoln between 1871 and 1886, and was for five terms the mayor of Louth. The Grimsby architect John James Cresswell worked as an articled assistant and then principal assistant to Fowler between 1877 and 1884.
Works
Domestic buildings
Dalby – Dalby Hall (1856)
Louth. Riversmead (1862). An example of a town house by Fowler: contrasting polychrome brickwork with banding and decorative voussiors, typical Gothic arched entrance.
Market Rasen – Grammar School, Headmaster's house (1863)
Langton-by-Partney – Langton Hall (1869)
Stamford – Browne's Hospital (1870)
Stamford – Warden's House (ca. 1870)
Trinity Estates, West Retford. In the 1870s Fowler laid out housing for the Trinity Hospital in Reford. An example of his designs is Lorne House, Queen Street.
Alford, Lincolnshire – Rectory (1852)
Amcotts – Rectory (1882 and 1888)
Frodingham vicarage, now Scunthorpe Museum (1874)
Goxhill – The Old Vicarage (1872–73)
Gunness – The Old Rectory (1864–66)
Gunness – Stable block (1864–66)
Hatton – Old Rectory (1871); red brick, like the church.
Irby – Old Rectory (1883)
Odstock, Wiltshire – Old Rectory (1869)
Redbourne – The Old Vicarage and Coach House (1861)
Ruckland – Rectory (1856)
Schools
Caistor – Caistor Primary School and School House (1859–60)
East Ravendale – School
Louth – parts of Edward VI Grammar School (1866)
Market Rasen – De Aston School (1862), red brick headmaster's house with associated school buildings
Public buildings
Grimsby – Town Hall (1861–63). Constructed to designs by Bellamy and Hardy of Lincoln and the London architect John Giles. Fowler acted as superintending architect during construction.
Horncastle High Street – Corn Exchange by Maugham and Fowler (1855). Erected in 1856 at a cost of about £3500, was a handsome edifice of brick with stone facings, and included a newsroom, a mechanics' institute with a library, and a hall for assemblies, concerts, and lectures. Later converted into the Victory Cinema.
Louth, Lincolnshire – Police station (1865)
Shops
15 Market Place, Louth, c.1865. Venetian Gothic Revival derived style with polychrome decorated brick facade. Now in retail use.
Churches
New or completely rebuilt churches, arranged by date of construction
East Ravendale, St. Martin (1857)
Winceby, St Margaret (1860). Now demolished.
Wold Newton, All Hallows (1862)
Louth, St Michael (1862–3)
Frampton, St. Michael (1863).
Ludford, St Mary & St Peter (1863–5)
Cleethorpes, St Peter (1864–66)
Snitterby, St Nicholas (1866)
Lichfield, St Mary (1868–70)
Lincoln, St Swithin's (1869–87). Nikolaus Pevsner described this as "without doubt his most important church."
Binbrook, Ss Mary and Gabriel (1869)
Hatton, St Stephen (1870). According to Pevsner this is one of Fowler's more satisfying small churches. Red brick with bands of stone.
Beswick, St Margaret
London, Kenley, All Saints (1870–72)
Newington, St Mary (1886)
Temple Bruer, St John (1874)
Spridlington, St Hilary (1875)
Moorhouses, St Laurence (1875)
Denmead, All Saints (1880; with C.R. Pink)
Renovated and partially rebuilt churches
Grimsby – Cemetery chapels (1854), now demolished