OR Established in 1g 67 - HERITAGE `volume 19, No. V,- 1 25t1 rf Celebrating our year ,16M311" OTTAWA l*1 Autumn 1992 Dedicated to Tresert4ng Our Built Heritage President's Message Wallis House - Past and Present by Loaise Coates by Money Verdier, WaUisHo" Historian Two historic buildings are of great The severe typhus epidemic of 1847, was danger of contaminating hospital concern to heritage sympathizers right brought on by the arrival of Irish patients because many buried were now: Jeanne d'Arc on Sussex Drive, Catholic immigrants carrying ship fever, small pox victims. As a result, the ceme- and Wallis House at Rideau and prompted the Protestant community teries were moved to what would Charlotte. Both are federally-owned to begin raising funds in 1849 for become Beechwood Cemetery in 1872. Protestant general hospital. Catholics buildings a Epidemics of ship fever, typhoid, were served by Hotel-Dieu Hospital, cholera, yellow fever, malaria, and small The corner of Rideau and Charlotte operated by the Sisters of Charity under has an eyesore since the pox scourged Ottawa and overwhelmed Streets been Sister Elisabeth Bruyere. department of National Defence moved the tiny stone hospital. A replacement out of Wallis House in October, 1990. On September 19, 1850, the corner hospital was designed by Robert Since then, the 19th century gem has stone for The County of Carleton Surtees (later Ottawa City Engineer) been "progressively demaintained" - Protestant General Hospital was laid; in the Queen Anne style, and on May allowed to deteriorate through a refusal it opened in May, 1851, on the open 16, 1973, the construction of Wallis to heat or keep up the building. area to the east of where Wallis House House was begun. The corner stone was laid by the Governor The federal government General Earl Dufferin with full (Wallis is owned by DND and Masonic ceremonies. It opened by Public Works), managed in 1875 with 75 beds and was is asking a cool $4 million for one of the most modem of its Wallis and its land, a high time, with high ceilings and the economy price considering segregated wards separated and glut of office space by long corridors. The earlier in Ottawa. One has to ask why structure was used as an isola- the federal government - tion ward for contagious forget the private sector! -- is diseases. It was demolished so eager to be rid of our in 1907. heritage. Wallis' 14 foot ceil- ings and elegant demeanor The new County of Carleton have established its reputation Protestant General Hospital in architectural circles. was supported by subscrip- Wallis House tions from the Protestant This fall, two non-profit hous- churches of the region with donations ing groups, City Living and Centretown now stands. The two-storey stone struc- sheets, blankets, linen gowns, coal, Citizens of Ottawa Corporation, togeth- of ture opened with ten beds and two food often being received. er with architect Barry Padolsky, firewood, and employees - a steward and a matron quickly outgrew the presented detailed plans to convert Ottawa's population (his wife) to tend to the sick. Wallis into apartments . Wallis House hospital's capacity and in 1898 a major conversion project leader, Richard extension was built to the east, as was The land to the north of the hospital a wing extending to Rideau Street. Sanders, organized a public meeting (now MacDonald Park) was with community leaders and residents purchased in 1844 by the four main reli- Medical services began to congregate Oct. 19 to urge them to lobby the federal gious denominations -- Roman Catholic, in the area, with the Lady Stanley government to lower its price. The fate Presbyterian, Wesleyan Methodist, and Institute for Trained Nurses being of Wallis hinges on provincial support Episcopalian-- for use as cemeteries . founded in 1890 to provide staff. Con'i on page2 By 1870 they were full and there Maternity cases were transferred President's Messagecon't Wallis House con't for the housing proposal, and a federal as of 1894 to Rideau Street's Ottawa which took place off Boston Harbour, decision to save the building and lower Maternity Hospital, to the east of Wallis June 1st, 1813 . Lieutenant Wallis its economic expectations . House near the Rideau River. The assumed command of the Shannon Ottawa Protestant Children's home -- after Captain Phillips Vowes Bere Broke Jeanne d'Arc, owned by the National the present Turkish Embassy -- was was killed; the Shannon was victorious, Capital Commission, will soon located on Wurtemburg. A children's and Wallis brought both vessels into be "renovated", according to an NCC ward was organized by the May Court Halifax Harbour. Lieutenant Wallis was call for developers' plans . The five Club in 1905 and funded by bazaars subsequently knighted and advanced to buildings that compose Jeanne d'Arc and other public fundraising events. the rank of Admiral of the Fleet in 1877. date from 1846; the NCC wants He died at the age of 102. to demolish most of their contents and A third storey was added to the hospi- build upscale offices and stores . The tal's east wing in 1912 and large sun The barracks were used by the WRENS abandoned requirement placed on developers rooms constructed at the ends of the until 1945 when they were only demobilization. They were then Sussex and wards on Rideau Street . The last major in the is that the facades on occupied by vagrants and squatters. York are saved. epidemic to strike Ottawa was typhoid fever in 1912; so many patients were An acute housing shortage after the The heart of the problem with the admitted that tents had to be set up on war resulted in action by the Veterans' treatment of these two sites is a the grounds where the first hospital Housing League which occupied a federal policy that says empty federally- once stood. By 1920, Ottawa's medical number of vacant military buildings . In owned buildings should be rented out requirements outgrew the city's facili- 1946, Wallis House and other buildings at market value. On the other hand, its ties and the County of Carleton were leased by the Federal Emergency City Federal Heritage Buildings Review Protestant Hospital and St . Luke's Shelter Corporation to the Wallis Office (FHBRO) says heritage proper- Hospital were amalgamated to form the of Ottawa for rental housing. converted into 46 apart- ties should be saved. How can these Civic Hospital, which moved to a new House was initially housed 47 families policies work together? If an empty building on Carling Avenue in 1924. ments and children . The dilapidated to bring in market with 136 heritage building has The Wallis House site was structure was vacated in 1950. value rents that compare with state-cf- purchased in 1925 by the Archdiocese the-art office tower space, it can't stay of Ottawa and the building was convert- The Korean War resulted in a new role heritage, it has to be "modernized", that ed into Major and Minor Seminaries. for Wallis House and 13 Personnel is, rebuilt. The policy of market value for The Minor Seminary provided eight Depot moved in to undertake recruiting heritage properties is one years of classical schooling for young for the conflict. A year later 113 of the key issues in federal heritage men, leading to a Baccalaureate of Manning Depot (M) and the militia preservation today. Arts. Students could then complete four district's 1 Cadre moved in. In 1954, years in the Major Seminary and gradu- additional militia units arrived - If federal, provincial and municipal ate as priests. The Archdiocese sepa- 3 Divisional Signals Regiment RCSC, governments re-used the buildings rated the seminaries in 1943 and 130 Transport Company RCASC, they owned, as is done in the U.S., moved them to other sites in Ottawa. 3 Ordinance Company RCOC, and didn't insist on building new office 10 Medical Company RCAMC, and towers, our heritage would survive. The Navy bought the facility the same 54 Dental unit RCDC . The logistics Why is Wallis empty and the Daly year and converted it into barracks units were amalgamated in 1965 to demolished while federal departments for the Women's Royal Canadian Naval form the Ottawa Service Battalion and move into spots such Service (WRENS), whose personnel the Communications Unit was redesig- as Place de Ville? Who isn't happy the worked in various Ottawa locations nated the 763 Communications Unit. former county courthouse has been on administrative duties. The building The 28 Service Battalion and converted into a complex for at this time was covered in vines and provided an ideal home for spiders, 763 Communications Regiment and the performing arts? Recycling their affiliated Cadet Corps finally left heritage properties is not only smart, a fact not lost on the ladies stationed the Wallis House in October, 1990, moving it makes for a charming and colourful there who had to sweep ceilings daily. to the Walkley Road - Major EJG pastiche of styles in a city, a blend Holland, VC Armoury. of streetscapes with something for The Navy named the building "Wallis everyone. Please, write or call your House" after Lieutenant Provo William With the departure of the militia, Wallis local politicians and press for an end Parry Wallis. Wallis was born in Halifax House is awaiting a new role in the to market value for heritage buildings in 1791 and distinguished himself in the service of the city and the community. and amove towards recycling . naval engagement between HMS Mr. Verdiermasowslalioned in Walls Hone;hehas Shannon and and USS Chesapeake, done exunsice resemd on debuilding. Herflav,Onaana 2 Tax Reassessments: A Three-Point Solution for Heritage Buildings by Marr Denhez (Heritage Ottawa's legalconsultant) For decades, experts argued that down- guard.