John Plaw (architect)
Encyclopedia
John Plaw was an architect who was born in London
but later emigrated to Prince Edward Island
in Canada
. He is known for favouring circular designs in the classical style.
There are two known surviving examples of his work in the UK. These are a circular villa built on Belle Isle
, Windermere
’s largest lake, and St Mary on Paddington Green Church
, which was designed in the shape of a Greek Cross and constructed between 1788 and 1791. A third property, The Round House in Romford
, Essex
, constructed between 1792-4, has also been attributed to Plaw.
In the 1790s Plaw found work in Southampton
and the Isle of Wight
designing military barracks. In 1807 he and his family emigrated to Prince Edward Island where he submitted proposals for a jail, a courthouse, a market building and a commercial building. The courthouse and market building were completed, however neither still stands today.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
but later emigrated to Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He is known for favouring circular designs in the classical style.
There are two known surviving examples of his work in the UK. These are a circular villa built on Belle Isle
Belle Isle (Windermere)
Belle Isle is the largest of 18 islands on Windermere, a lake in the English Lake District, and the only one ever to have been inhabited. It is 1 km in length. Belle Isle House was built in 1774 to designs by John Plaw...
, Windermere
Windermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
’s largest lake, and St Mary on Paddington Green Church
St Mary on Paddington Green Church
St Mary on Paddington Green is an Anglican church in the Parish of Little Venice, London and forms part of Paddington Green conservation area. It stands on the junction of Edgware Road and Harrow Road, overlooking Westway....
, which was designed in the shape of a Greek Cross and constructed between 1788 and 1791. A third property, The Round House in Romford
Romford
Romford is a large suburban town in north east London, England and the administrative headquarters of the London Borough of Havering. It is located northeast of Charing Cross and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, constructed between 1792-4, has also been attributed to Plaw.
Career
John Plaw began his apprenticeship with a London bricklaying company in 1759. As an apprentice, he received an architectural award from the RSA. From 1775 – a year after completing plans for the villa on Belle Isle – he was exhibiting architectural drawings at the Royal Academy of Arts.In the 1790s Plaw found work in Southampton
Southampton
Southampton is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England, and is situated south-west of London and north-west of Portsmouth. Southampton is a major port and the closest city to the New Forest...
and the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
designing military barracks. In 1807 he and his family emigrated to Prince Edward Island where he submitted proposals for a jail, a courthouse, a market building and a commercial building. The courthouse and market building were completed, however neither still stands today.