Frederick Wheeler (1853–1931) (FRIBA) was a British architect born in Brixton in October 1853 to Christopher and Mary Ann Wheeler. He was articled to Charles Henry Driver (1832–1900), whose offices were at 7 Parliament Street, London SW1, and who is best known as the architect for the Victoria Embankment and Abbey Mills.
He worked widely in South London and the Home Counties where he designed freely in the Art Nouveau, Queen Anne Revival and English Baroque styles which emerged at the end of the 19th Century
Wheeler began his career as an architect working on a number of commissions in south London. In 1880 Sussex House, on the corner of Tooting Bec Gardens and Ambleside Avenue, was constructed as the Sussex House School (now residential). He designed a number of terraces around Mitcham Lane and Streatham station in what Pevsner calls a ‘competent Queen Anne style’. At that time he favoured the use of dark red brick often carved into swags and floral designs.
During his time working in Streatham, Wheeler lived at ‘Eversley’ (No. 9) Rydal Road near the Woodlands Estate west of the Mitcham Lane, a housing development which he designed himself for the local building firm of Hill Brothers. While at Rydal Road he also designed the local Methodist Church in partnership with the architect Edward Speed. At the time of its construction it possessed the widest barrel vaulted ceiling in Britain and it is now listed at Grade II. He designed a number of blocks in Streatham High Road; Queens Parade, The Broadway and The Triangle.
Wheeler’s best known work is probably St Paul’s Studios on Talgarth Road, London, W14, dating from 1890
