====== Chisholm, John Ranald ====== 
 (17 Oct. 1832-15 Sept. 1914), contractor, builder. (John R. Chisholm, J. R. Chisholm) Born probably in Alexandria area, GC. Parents: Mr and Mrs Ranald Chisholm. In a career of 40 years as a contractor, he built some 80 public buildings. Most notably, he built St. Finnan’s Church, which became St. Finnan’s Cathedral with the creation of the diocese of Alexandria in 1890. In Sept. 1883 John R. Chisholm and Son were awarded the contract to build St. Finnan’s Church, and the first work was begun that month.The cornerstone was laid and blessed on 13 July 1884. The completed church was dedicated on 15 March 1885. The architect from whose designs Chisholm worked was W. H. Hodson. John Ranald Chisholm’s company received the contract 1885 to build St. Margaret’s Church, Glen Nevis. In 1888 his company received the contract to built the Roman Catholic rectory at Moose Creek. He prepared the plans and supervised the construction of the Church of St. Martin of Tours at Glen Robertson, but another company seems to have done the actual building work. The church was ready for Midnight Mass at Christmas 1895. It was destroyed by fire in 1915. In Nov. 1899 his tender for building the Bishop’s Palace in Alexandria was selected. The bishop occupied the completed palace in April 1901. The architect of the building was G.-E. Tanguay. In 1903 Chisholm was selected to supervise the construction of the new post office building in Alexandria. (//Glengarry News// 6 Nov. 1903)

<tab>He was married in 1852 or 1854 to Nancy McDonald. (three children) One of their children was a Mrs Cardinal, presumably the same person as the Mrs Cardinal who was an art teacher and painter in the Alexandria area in the years around 1900. His home was in Alexandria. He was buried in St. Finnan’s cemetery. He was the grandfather of John Chisholm the contractor who died in 1987.


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<fs small>//Glengarry News// 25 Sept. 1914 * Macdonald, //St. Finnan’s// * //St. Finnan’s CRNI//, I, 85 * contract to build St. Margaret’s Church, //Standard Freeholder// 3 June & 25 Jan.1947, DTL based resp. on //Cornwall Freeholder// 29 May 1885 & 22 Jan. 1886 * Villeneuve 179, 215, 256-258 * //Sinnsearachd// 60, 109 * Sinclair, 11: builds house on farm of Charles R. Sinclair’s father * to build house for A. L. Smith, Alexandria, //GN// 17 March 1899, & house and office for Reeve McDonald, Alexandria, //GN// 3 Nov. 1902
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