Fleet Street Pumping Station / City Waterworks Building - Ottawa, Ontario
Posted by: 
Weathervane
N 45° 24.985 W 075° 42.659
18T E 444371 N 5029456
The Fleet Street Pumping Station/City Waterworks Building, Ottawa's first pumping station, was designed by architect Thomas Keefer.
Waymark Code: WM13XZV
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 03/10/2021
Views: 3
"The City Waterworks Buildinq and aqueduct are recommended for designation as being of architectural and historical value. Ottawa City Council authorized the construction of this, the first wateworks buildinq in 1872 in response to a qrowing fear of fires in the Ottawa Valley and the Great Chicaqo Fire of 1871. The building was constructed in l873-74 to a design by Thomas Keefer, engineer; who was appointed the First commissioner of waterworks in 1874.
The building was originally a one storey structure with a mansard roof. Enlarged over the years to serve the needs of a growing city, the building is now a two storey, flat roofed limestone structure. It is highlighted by its arched window openings, decorative cornices, pilasters, two surqe towers, and a grade level aqueduct with stone faced walls. The building, which operates on hydraulic power, is siqnificant for its place in industrial history. The original pumps and turbines were replaced in 1943."
Source: (
visit link)
A National Historic Engineering site plaque on site reads as follows:
Fleet Street Pumping Station
Originally constructed to provide a safe
water supply for public use and for fire
fighting purposes, this pumping station
remains a lasting tribute to the prominent
civil engineers responsible for its design and
construction. Due to their innovative use of
water power to drive the pumping equipment
and superb engineering skills, the fleet street
pumping station continues to be a key
component of the City of Ottawa's water
supply system.