John Flavel Curwen was born in Clapton, Middlesex, England in 1860 and was articled to Thomas Lewis Banks (1842-1920) in 1879. He began working as a draughtsman with Ernest George (1839-1922) and Harold Ainsworth Peto (1854-1933) in 1884. He also trained in the District Surveyor's Office in Southwark.
Curwen commenced practising as an architect in Redhill, Surrey in 1884. Two years later he relocated his practice to Kendal in Cumberland [now Cumbria]. He was surveyor of the southern area of the Diocese of Carlisle for thirteen years.
By 1926 his son. John Spedding Curwen (1981-1963) had joined his father in partnership as J. F. Curwen & Son and in 1928 took over the practice.
J. F. Curwen was elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1893. He was also a Fellow of the Manchester Society of Architects, and a member of the Society of Antiquaries and the Cumberland and Westmoreland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society. He wrote extensively on archaeological and antiquarian topics.
His address was given as 24, Highgate, Kendal, Cumberland in 1914; and Horncop Hall, Heversham, Westmorland in 1914 and 1932. He died in Kendal, Westmoreland, England on 31 July 1932.
Branch banks for the Bank of Liverpool; restoration a number of churches and manor halls in the Kendal area; designed several new houses locally.
Armstrong, Barrie and Armstrong, Wendy. The Arts and Crafts movement in the North West of England: a handbook. Wetherby, England: Oblong Creative Ltd., 2006
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. The Builder vol. 143, 12 August 1932 p. 247
‘Obituary’. Royal Institute of British Architects Journal vol. 40, 1933 p. 27
Who's Who in Architecture 1914. London: Technical Journals Ltd., 1914