Centretown has a number of heritage properties that I enjoy sketching. Many are often scheduled for demolition through neglect (i.e. like the recent 293 Lisgar (Mauds Mortar) demolition
D07-05-15-0006).
The most recent heritage home on the demolition block is at 234 O'Connor St in Centretown, Ottawa and the application will be heard at Ottawa City Hall (in the Champlain Room at 9:30
) Thursday October 13, 2016.
The owner has made application to demolish the existing house and to create a temporary park (featuring a mix of hard and soft landscaping).
 |
| 234 O'Connor St., Ottawa: notice of demolition application |
The building at 234 O
’Connor
Street
is a two and one half storey, wood frame brick clad
structure with a rubble stone foundation that was constructed
between
1888
-
1915 and is an example of
a simple vernacular Queen Anne dwelling. (
Read Cultural Impact Statement here)
The property has been vacant
for
approximately 15 years after
a fire that caused damage to the upper floors.
The windows
and doors
have been removed and the openings have been covered with plywood. All
interior finishes and fixtures have been removed, with the exception of the plaster
ceilings on the ground floor of the original building
The City of Ottawa planning staff want the committee to deny the owner's application for demolition.
I decided to visit the site over the Thanksgiving weekend and take a few photos to sketch.
 |
| My ink sketch based on photo in Heritage report |
 |
| 234 O'Connor St., Ottawa (north side) |
 |
| A couple of quick sketches from my sketchbook. |
 |
| 234 O'Connor St., Ottawa (rear) |
 |
| My watercolour sketch of 234 O'Connor St. |
From the Heritage Report:
"O’Connor St. between Cooper and Somerset was developed in the 1880’s
as
a residential neighbourhood
consisting of two and three storey brick residences typically fronting on the east west streets (
Cooper
and
Somerset) with mid
-
block residences fronting on O’Connor. The development pattern remained
static up until
the
early part of the 20
th
century when low
-
rise apartment buildings were
developed,
and
Dominion
-
Cha
l
mers
United
Church were
constructed in
the 194
0s
.
Ten years later,
a second wave of
apartment buildings were constructed
in the
area.
one of which is located across the street from the
site. Beginning
in the late 1950s through to the mid
1960s,
a number of residential properties were
demolished withi
n the block
and across the st
r
eet
, lots consolidated under one owner and developed as
parking lots.
By 1976
,
the corner of O’Conner and Somerset
within the block
had been
cleared and has
served as
a parking lot;
the bui
l
ding to the south
of the site
was
d
emolished
in 1997."
234 O'Connor
- based on fire insurance maps, 234 O'Connor was constructed between 1888 and 1915.
- the exterior brick was painted to protect the relatively soft brick and has peeled off due to the building being vacant and unheated.
- the verandah has been removed from the front of the building.
- there is a structural crack in the brick veneer extending up the left corner of the rear (west) wall of the building due to settlement / movement in the stone foundation.
- In 1909, William Swetman (caretaker of the YMCA) lived there with Earl Swetman who was a student.
