Peirce was trained as a civil engineer in
Manchester, England before moving to the
Penang,
Straits Settlements in 1891. He started his career articled to Mr. R. Vawser, M. Inst. C.E., of Manchester but spent several years in
Birmingham, where he was engaged as resident engineer for the corporation working on the construction of
cable trams. Before arriving in Penang, Peirce was employed as assistant to Pritchard & Co., civil engineers, of London and Birmingham. === 1891–1901 :
Penang Municipal Engineer === Peirce was engineer to the Municipal Commissioners of
George Town, Penang from 1891 to 1901. He was rumoured to be in contention for the same role in Singapore in 1895 but remained in Penang till 1901. He made a revealing public comment in 1900 when, urging the Penang Magistrate to deal severely with water wasters, he said average water consumption in Penang "far exceeded that of Singapore". His focus on "water wasters" would continue in Singapore. He won the competition to design the
Jubilee Clock Tower to commemorate the diamond jubilee of
Queen Victoria. The gleaming whitewashed tower is topped by a Moorish dome. It has four tiers: the base is octagon-shaped and the following two tiers comprise four distinct sections with elaborate windows, balconies and a working clock on each side. The topmost tier is rounded off with Roman pillars and topped with a golden dome cupola. The six steps leading up to the main entrance denote the number of decades of Queen Victoria's reign.
Jalan Peirce in Penang is named after the Municipal Engineer. In 1901, on receiving the news that Peirce is likely to leave Penang and accept the post of Municipal Engineer in Singapore, the
Pinang Gazette commented on the improvements made and the smoothness of operations in the department and that his departure is "Penang's loss was Singapore's gain". .
1901–1916 : Singapore Municipal Engineer In Singapore, Peirce is best known today for his work on the
Kallang River Reservoir, now known as
Lower Peirce Reservoir. While construction began in 1902 – a year in which Singapore experienced a serious drought – the scheme was conceived by a previous Municipal Engineer
James MacRitchie in the early 1890s. The reservoir was completed in 1910 according to the commemorative plaque and opened in March 1912. The reservoir and its importance to Singapore is comprehensively described in a contemporary newspaper article. Peirce was warmly praised for his work on water supply: 'Singapore now has one of the finest water supplies in the world, and to get that on a tiny island which has no river much bigger than a ditch must have meant long and earnest study and a fine capacity for making the most of available means' The reservoir was renamed the Peirce Reservoir in 1922 in recognition of Peirce. In Singapore, Peirce was responsible for the completion of the
Pearl's Hill Service Reservoir in 1902, for the completion of the Woodleigh Filters and the Kallang Tunnel Works, and for the construction of numerous roads. Peirce authored a 1905 report on night soil collection by pail, and disposal at sea, which was approved by the Municipal Commission only to be overturned in favour of a water borne sewage system. In this matter, Peirce showed himself to be conservative and not an early adopter of new technology. At that time a water borne sewage system had been operating for 20 years in Rangoon. The 'Pail' versus 'Sewer' debate is discussed by Brenda Yeoh in
Contesting Space in Colonial Singapore. However Peirce demonstrated his confidence in new materials and construction methods with his design and approach to the construction of the Anderson Bridge, Singapore's first steel bridge, in 1910. In this case, certain of the fabrication works was done locally, although the main steel structure was imported from Britain. In March 1906, Peirce tendered his resignation over a pay dispute. Parts of the media jumped to his defence stating the role of Municipal Engineer in Singapore was "by far the most important of its kind in the Straits Settlements" and the case was "an illustration of the eternal truth that one had to pay the market price [to get the services and counsel of good men]" A proposal by Municipal Commissioners to hike Peirce's pay was criticised by other active local media who decried paying "enormous salaries to high officials, in many cases twice what they would get in private life". Comparisons with other highly paid officials, and a comparison with what his predecessor was earning in private practice, were advanced in support of Pierce's pay increase, but the government refused. Peirce resigned his position as Municipal Engineer and also his commission as a captain in the Singapore Royal Engineers (Volunteers) in May 1906. When Peirce resigned, there was a reference to the Municipal Commission resigning en masse. However, he was eventually reinstated as Municipal Engineer with a 50% pay increase which he had demanded (to £1,500 p.a). Although it disagreed with the decision on behalf of ratepayers and on the principle that 'no man is indispensable', The Eastern Daily Mail proved a useful and independent check on the Municipal Commission. Peirce also served on the building committee which was formed to oversee the erection of the
Victoria Theatre and Concert Hall, completed in 1905. ==Personal life==