Blue Plaque to Honor Bournville Architect William Alexander Harvey

A Victorian architect responsible for designing some of the most recognizable structures in Birmingham’s Bournville area will be recognized with a blue plaque. William Alexander Harvey was merely 21 years old when George Cadbury appointed him to contribute to the design of residential and community buildings in the locality. Daniel Callicott, Heritage Manager at the Bournville Village Trust, remarked that this “must have felt like an amazing opportunity” for an architect who was both young and relatively inexperienced. The Birmingham Civic Society and Bournville Village Trust are scheduled to unveil the plaque at Selly Manor Museum on November 14, after which it will be installed at the architect’s former residence in Bournville. Established by George Cadbury in 1900, the charitable trust oversees estates, provides housing, and delivers community support services and commercial operations. Among the buildings designed by William Harvey are the Rest House located on the Village Green, the Friends Meeting House, and Bournville Junior School. Additionally, he undertook the reconstruction of Selly Manor Museum and Minworth Greaves, and was responsible for the design of Dudley Council House. Born in Birmingham, William Alexander Harvey pursued his architectural studies at the city’s Municipal School of Art. He remained with the Bournville Village Trust until 1904, at which point he departed to establish his own firm, Harvey and Wicks. According to the Bournville Village Trust, he became “established as an expert on low-cost housing thanks to his 1906 book on model villages,” and his concepts were subsequently adopted by local authorities. However, the trust noted that limited information is available about him, possessing only a few photographs. The trust expressed a desire for individuals potentially related to Mr. Harvey to contact them upon learning of the plaque. Dr. Chris Adamson, who serves as a trustee and chair of the Birmingham Civic Society’s Heritage Committee, stated: “Harvey’s designs in Bournville reflect a time of fascinating social change in the city as well as representing architectural achievements of national significance.”