Dedicated to Preserving Our Built Heritage Spring/Summer 2007 Volume 34, No. 2 The Oldest House in Vanier, the future Workers’ Heritage Centre By Ken Clavette he oldest known building in Vanier and was destined to become Vanier will soon become the the home of the Vanier Museum T home for Ottawa’s workers’ until amalgamation opened up history. The small home at 306 space in the former City Hall Cyr Ave. and known as Gamman (which is where Museo parc House was owned by the City of Vanier is now located). The result of the change was an empty building e with no city budget for maintenance. So a partnership was formed The Nathaniel Gamman family. Circa 1870s. between the Ottawa and Heritage Centr District Labour Council and orkers’ the City to have the Workers’ Heritage Centre (WHC) established and use the building as a museum and interpretation centre. The Gamman House is a modest one-and- a-half story, mansard-roofed, wood frame cottage constructed in 1875 by Nathaniel and Mary Gamman, early residents of the area. The house was part of the community of Janeville that developed along Montreal Road from the Cummings Bridge in the 1870s. Its boundaries were the Rideau River to the west, Deschamps to the north, the former Vanier/ Ottawa municipal Family photo: Donated by the Gamman family to W boundary to the east and McArthur to the south. Assessment rolls show that many large land hold- ings in this area were divided up into smaller ones in the 1870s and houses were built on the new lots. Most of the new inhabitants were listed in the rolls Photo: Jan Soetermans as labourers, clerks, or farmers, including farm Gamman house, 306 Cyr Ave., Vanier as it looks today. It is an unusual labourers. Janeville was a predominantly remaining example of a small mansard-roofed structure. Anglophone village. 1 Gamman house... The home has survived several phases of development in the community and has become an isolated example of what Janeville once looked like. Small workers’ homes were constructed on large lots that provided space for gardens and out buildings – including a privy at Gamman House in use into the late 1940s. In 1913 Janeville amalgamated with Clarkstown to the north and Clandeboye to the east to become the village of Eastview and eventually the City of Vanier. The original owner, Nathaniel Gamman, was born in 1848 in Lowertown, making his family very Photo: Ken Clavette early inhabitants of Ottawa. His father, Thomas The large side yard is an important example of the 1870s era and Gamman, had emigrated from England while his contributes to the character of the property; it is also preserved in mother, Mary-Jane Close, had been born in the designation. Cumberland Township. In 1873 he married Mary Ann Mulligan and that same year they The City of Ottawa working with the WHC had acquired the land upon which their house was to the building designated heritage in 2004. It was be built. They had a family of seven children in the during this research that the WHC discovered that home and raised five to adulthood. Gamman the building was a decade older than St Margaret’s worked as a brick maker, janitor and a labourer and Anglican Church, which was believed to have been served very briefly as a councillor in the town of the oldest surviving Vanier building. Eastview shortly after it was incorporated in 1913. The designation report by staff stated that, Nathaniel lived there until his death in 1917 and “...the house is significant as a remnant of Janeville, Mary Ann until 1921. Nathaniel’s twin brother, and as an unusual remaining example of a Thomas, bought the adjacent lot at the same time small mansard-roofed structure.” It noted that, but never built on it and today it serves as the “The building’s heritage attributes include the Royal Canadian Legion parking lot. wood siding, mansard roof, decorative wood details such as the pilasters and porch details, the finials, dentils and brackets.” The large side yard is an important example of the 1870s era and contributes to the character of the house; it is also preserved in the designation. The WHC is currently in a development stage and undertaking some long overdue repairs with the target of opening to the public in 2010. The Heritage Ottawa is a non-profit organization dedicated to goals will be preserving, interpreting and sharing the preservation of Ottawa’s built heritage. the history of Ottawa’s working people. Using Editor: Veronica Vaillancourt exhibits, educational sessions, community events and school programming, the WHC will raise Graphic Designer: Jan Soetermans the awareness of what working people have Printing: Tina & Company contributed to the City’s heritage. Visit Heritage Ottawa on line – www.heritageottawa.org Become a member. Heritage Ottawa acknowledges the financial support of the City of Ken Clavette is a board member of Heritage Ottawa and Ottawa and the Ontario Ministry of Culture. the Secretary-Treasurer of the Workers’ Heritage Centre Museum. He served on the City of Ottawa Heritage Advisory Committee. 2 Looking Up Light standards in and around historic areas in Ottawa By Stuart Lazear t is easy to take for granted the beautiful light fixtures in and around historic areas in the I City. What is not widely known, however, is the care taken by the National Capital Commission (NCC) and the City of Ottawa in restoring, repro- ducing and adapting them for new contemporary designs. Take time this sping or summer to “look up” during your walks about town to enjoy the City’s unique light fixtures – good examples of Ottawa's engineering heritage. The “Sussex Fixture” is the most widely used light standard in Ottawa’s Photo: Stuart Lazear historic areas. It is a five- The contemporary design of the tall light standards along globed cast iron fixture Confederation Boulevard complements the style of the lower designed by the NCC in pedestrian light standards nearby. the early 1960s and based on the original five- While the Sussex Fixture is a relatively recent globed light fixtures in light standard design based on early precedents, Photo: Stuart Lazear the By Ward Market and the cast iron light fixture located at 50 Guigues at This five-globed Sussex Fixture Lowertown. There are Sussex at the north entrance to Notre Dame Basilica on Sussex Dr. is based on an also three-globed is an early fixture. The original fixtures in the By early design found in various Ward Market /Lowertown/ Centretown area, as historic areas in the City. versions. They can be found in the By Ward seen in historic photos, Market Heritage Conservation District, the were similar to this design Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District with straight arms extend- and the Centretown Heritage Conservation District ing from the central pole along Somerset. They are also used in other older and more globes. and historic areas such as Rideau Street between The fluted concrete Sussex and King Edward, Dundonald Park aggregate single column and MacDonald Park. This fixture is currently with globe and cast iron manufactured by Stittsville Foundries. “basket” luminaire was The design of the Sussex Fixture was adapted an early 20th century by the City on the Sparks Street Mall, a designated design by the Federal heritage conservation district, during the Mall’s last District Commission, the NCC’s predecessor. It is makeover in the early 1990s. The Sparks Street Mall Photo: Stuart Lazear features the light standard on its website as part of used in the Laurier Avenue Heritage This straight-armed fixture on its corporate identity. Guigues Street outside the north Conservation District in The NCC was also inspired by the Sussex Fixture in entrance of Notre Dame Basilica Sandy Hill in front of is closely related to early developing a contemporary design along Confederation Stratchcona Park, in the fixtures found in the By Ward Boulevard which accommodates metal halide street Minto Park Heritage Market, Lowertown and lighting for the taller lights and compact fluorescent Centretown. Conservation District, pedestrian lighting for the lower lights. 3 along Ottawa parkways, to look up to appreciate heritage driveways and in older light standards. parks such as Dundonald Light fixtures must be Park abutting the Centretown kept up-to -date to Heritage Conservation respond to new District, MacDonald Park, demands related to Confederation Park and safety, energy efficiency Hampton Park. The NCC and even the ability to has also adapted the fluted gaze at the stars. It is concrete aggregate pole and easy to dismiss their globe lighting along Dows retention as not being Lake to accommodate new cost-effective and to lighting types (compact adapt the fixtures in fluorescent). The NCC core inappropriate ways, Photo: Stuart Lazear urban parks such as Major’s but these old light poles The fluted concrete aggregate single column Hill Park and Confederation represent a unique with globe is one of a Park retain the heritage aesthetic. They also Photo: Stuart Lazear series which line the globe luminaire and pole as preserve a record of fine This decorative light standard north edge of Strathcona an inspiration for its new craftmanship and tell a Park in Sandy Hill. outside the Fleet Street contemporary pedestrain story. As with heritage Pumping Station was light fixtures in the manner of the Confederation buildings, their loss reproduced in the 1990s Boulevard pedestrian units. happens one at a time from an original design used on the Minto Bridges. The City has also adapted this and incrementally until design in new light standards on we suddenly wake up to the Cummings Bridge and next to a changed landscape.