Four Corners Building - Ottawa, Ontario
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Weathervane
N 45° 25.366 W 075° 41.885
18T E 445386 N 5030153
Also known as the Montreal Telegraph Building, Canada's Four Corners Building is located at the corner of Sparks and Metcalfe Streets, in Ottawa, Ontario. The building is described as having Second Empire and renaissance revival style architecture.
Waymark Code: WM11Z8K
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 01/15/2020
Views: 6
The Canada’s Four Corners Building is associated with the commercial development of Sparks Street in the early 20th century. This area has been, since the 1880s, the core of Ottawa’s central business district. The Montreal Telegraph building, as it was then known, was first a rental property. Its first tenant was the Merchants’ Bank of Canada. Both companies were part of the financial empire of the prominent Montreal entrepreneur, Hugh Allen. The construction of the bank’s Ottawa headquarters by the MTC reflects this interrelationship amongst Allen’s companies. Founded in 1852, the MTC operated Canada’s most important telegraphing system. The building was owned by the MTC until 1954, when it was sold to its long-time tenant, the Canadian National Railways. It is now a retail and office complex.
Architectural Value:
The Canada’s Four Corners Building is valued for its good aesthetics. The large building features a sophisticated design with detailing from a variety of different sources including the Renaissance Revival. Good functional design is evidenced in the multi-functional role, combining a traditional bank, manager’s residence, and commercial rental space. Very good craftsmanship and materials are evidenced in the masonry.
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"It has been a challenge to tackle the refurbishment of this federal building listed on the Canadian Register of Historic Places, while scrupulously respecting the elaborate Second Empire style of the building," says the Ontario Division President of the Atwill-Morin Group, Jonathan Atwill-Morin, noting that this great witness in Canadian history was originally constructed of roughly squared stones, with contrasting smooth stone accents."
An icon of Canada's architectural heritage: (
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Mystery of the Sparks Street Smile. There are 11 reliefs of a bearded man on this building and only one is smiling. To find out more, go to the reliefs' reference below:
Reliefs: (
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Visit Instructions:Category Visiting Requirements
An original photo is necessary to log a visit in this category along with a description of the visit. No extra visit requirements are allowed by the waymarker.