Background
Augustus Laver was born in 1834 in Folkstone, England, United Kingdom.
Augustus Laver was born in 1834 in Folkstone, England, United Kingdom.
At the age ot twenty-three he migrated to Canada, and shortly after arriving in the newly established capital ot Ottawa, was invited to join two English-born architects, the late Thomas W. Fuller and Edward Stent, in preparing plans for a competition on the proposed Parliament Building. Successful in winning the competition they were commissioned architects for the structure, the corner-stone ot which was laid in September of 1859, and during a few subsequent years Mr. Laver continued architectural work in Canada. He designed a number of important public buildings in various cities, one of which was the Catholic Cathedral in Montreal.
During the mid-1860's he entered the U. S. and opened an office in New York. There he met Mr. Fuller, recently arrived from Canada, and in 1867 they collaborated on a plan to submit in a competition for the new State Capitol at Albany. After winning first prize, their design was subsequently adopted, and on the erection of the building they served as supervising architects. Within a few years, however, Mr. Laver withdrew from his association with Mr. Fuller, and attracted by the greater opportunity for building in California, moved to San Francisco during the latter part of 1870. He established an office in the city, and carrying on work under his own name, soon acquired a successful practice. One of his important public buildings was the first San Francisco City Hall (won in a competition), work on which was started in 1878. He also designed for his client, James Flood, the latter's country mansion at Menlo Park, and his pretentious home on Nob Hill.
new State Capitol at Albany
(Thomas W. Fuller and LAVER, AUGUSTUS)
Catholic Cathedral in Montreal
Recognized as one of the leading architects in the state, in 1881 Mr Laver was elected president of the Pacific Coast Association of Architects, and largely due to his efforts the San Francisco Chapter of the A. I. A. was organized later in the same year.