Scottish-Ontario Chambers - Ottawa
Posted by: Weathervane
N 45° 25.407 W 075° 41.756
18T E 445555 N 5030227
The Scottish Ontario Chambers, constructed as a prestige commercial property by the Scottish Ontario and Manitoba Land Company, is located
at the corner of Sparks and Elgin Streets, in Ottawa.
Waymark Code: WMH6E1
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 05/30/2013
Views: 44
"The Scottish Ontario Chambers is a four-storey brick structure, prominently located on Ottawa’s Confederation Square at the intersection of Sparks and Elgin streets. A corner building with a high ground storey, it is distinguished by the boldness of its decorative multicoloured masonry, its fenestration and its roofline. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.
Heritage Value
The Scottish Ontario Chambers is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value.
Historical Value
The Scottish Ontario Chambers, constructed as a prestige commercial property by the Scottish Ontario and Manitoba Land Company, who were involved in land speculation and development, is associated with the 19th century commercial development of downtown Ottawa. The building was rented to professionals, largely lawyers and real estate agents, and then sold to the Ottawa Deposit and Trust company in 1896 where it eventually became part of the Canada Permanent Trust Company. Until it was sold to the National Capital Commission in 1965, the Scottish-Ontario Chambers was also known as the Trust Building.
The Scottish Ontario Chambers is valued for its very good aesthetic design, executed in the Victorian Italianate style. The building is typical of a large-scale late Victorian business block and is characterized by its balanced façade and decorative brickwork. Twice as high as the other commercial blocks constructed for rental on Sparks Street during the 19th century, the building demonstrates a good functional design with ground floor retail space and upper storey office space and possessed one of the city’s first elevators. High quality craftsmanship is evidenced in the elaborate stonework and decorative brickwork, including the radiated voussoirs of multicolored brick."
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