Posted by: OSHP
Front (north) facade (Kathy Krywicki, 2008)
32 Cameron Avenue
c. 1887
Residential
View Additional images of building.
This 1 1/2-storey brick veneer structure was built around 1887 in the then-rural area south of Ottawa. The pitched roof, double-gabled façade, ornate verge boards, and one-storey veranda with its extensive woodwork and central gable are all of architectural interest. The chinoiserie pattern of the railings reveals the handiwork of a proficient local carpenter, but many of the other decorative elements – ranging from the eight-pointed stars in the verge board to the dentils and spindles on the upper part of the veranda – were all manufactured by machine in local planning mills, and could be ordered from design books or catalogues. The L-plan of this house and the asymmetrical façade reflect the ultimate triumph of the romantic sensibility over the Georgian symmetry that had lingered in the Ottawa area.
The information provided above is reproduced from: Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC), Ottawa: A guide to Heritage Structures (Ottawa: City of Ottawa, 2000), p. 190.
(June 2008)
Additional Images
Street (north) facade (Kathy Krywicki, 2008)
Street (north) facade (Kathy Krywicki, 2008)
Additional Information
In February 2015, the City of Ottawa recognized the excellence of recent work on this property in preserving architectural heritage.
32 Cameron Avenue
Award of Excellence, Residential/Commercial
Category: Addition
The house at 32 Cameron Avenue was constructed c. 1887 and was designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act in 1981. It is a one-and-one-half storey brick veneer structure with a double gable, ornate bargeboards and a one-storey veranda with decorative woodwork and railings. The modern addition at the rear of the building respects the height, scale and materials of the main body of the house. It is distinguishable from the original building and is designed and sited so that it is barely visible from most angles. The jury commented that the project “demonstrates how existing residential buildings can be expanded without compromising either the appearance of the house or the relationship between the house and street.”