Arthur Ernest McKewan was born in Aston, Warwickshire on 16 April 1870. He was articled to Joseph Crouch (1859-1936) in Birmingham, England in 1887 and remained with him as his assistant for two years. He also attended Birmingham School of Art and classes at the Architectural Association Schools in London. He worked as an assistant to Edward Pincher in West Bromwich and was clerk of works to John Perrins Osborne (1853-1934).
McKewan qualified as an architect in 1894 and was elected an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects (ARIBA) in 1896. He commenced practice as an architect in Birmingham in 1898 and was in partnership with James Alfred Swan (1875-1952) and Arthur Malcolm McKewan from 1932. He was President of the Birmingham Architectural Association from 1924 to 1926 and died in Birmingham on 6 February 1947
Exeter School, 1899; Keighley Library, 1902; Maidenhead Library, 1904; City Road Wesleyan Church, Birmingham, 1902; Northampton County School, 1909; Wait Hill, Northfield, for W. A. Cadbury (country home, bailiff's house, 6 cottages, dairy, garage, etc.); Wesleyan Chapels at Kingsbury and Whitacre; Works: — Tubes, Ltd., and Chamberlain and Hookham, Ltd.; various domestic and business premises; Fordbouse Farm housing scheme, Birmingham Corporation; Perry Barr housing scheme; Woodcock Street Swimming Baths for the Birmingham Corporation. [Source: Who's Who in Architecture 1926]
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
'Obituary'. RIBA Journal vol. 54, June 1947 p. 442
Who's who in Architecture 1926. Edited by Frederick Chatterton. London: Architectural Press, 1926