The Origins and Significance of Residential Gothic Architecture in Ottawa

The competition for design of the Parliament Buildings in the late 1850s drew to Ottawa several English architects who introduced popular Gothic domestic forms that helped transform the housing stock of a rough lumber town to befit a dawning capital.

This landmark colloquium examines Ottawa’s domestic Gothic architecture through a series of lectures, tours and an exhibit taking place over two days on Friday, September 26 and Saturday, September 27, 2014. 

Optional tours on Friday include Earnscliffe and two Gothic revival churches: Hamnett Pinhey’s Old St Mary’s (1822-25) and its successor New St Mary’s (1909 ), adjuncts to the Pinhey Estate along the Ottawa River. The keynote address by Timothy Brittain-Catlin, an authority on the architecture of A.W.N. Pugin, takes place on Friday evening at St. Alban’s Church, located at 454 King Edward Avenue at Daly Avenue.

On Saturday morning, a related exhibit will be on display at Carleton University's River Building and David Jeanes of Heritage Ottawa will present a talk on Ottawa’s Confederation Era Tudor Gothic Mansions. Following will be a talk entitled Glimpses of Gothic Architecture in an Archaeological Framework, delivered by Ian Badgley, Archaeologist with the Heritage Program of the National Capital Commission. An optional bus tour of Ottawa’s surviving pinwheel-plan houses will then depart from Carleton University.

All lectures are free. Fee for the entire conference, including tours, is $30.

Tour places are limited so early registration is strongly encouraged. The deadline for tour registration is September 17, 2014. To register, please contact Bruce.Elliott@carleton.ca

For further information, please download the Colloquium Flyer at the link provided below.