Clarendon Courtyard
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
Most locals have enjoyed a warm summer evening on one of the many patios that populate Clarendon Courtyard. If the courtyard's stone walls could talk, here's some of what they might tell you.
As early as 1827, there was a log tavern at this site. It was quickly replaced by a hotel constructed of local limestone. In the 1860s and ’70s, a new wing was added and the buildings surrounding the courtyard were occupied by a 150-man garrison, sent to guard the newly appointed Governor General, Lord Monck, just in time for the Fenian Crisis.
From 1875 to 1880, the building was home to the Clarendon House Hotel. The name stuck. The buildings eventually housed the Geological Survey headquarters and the early stages of the National Gallery of Canada. In 1911, it served as a hospital during a typhoid epidemic.
So the next time you're enjoying an evening out in Clarendon Courtyard, share a little Ottawa history with your friends.
Neighbourhood
From its very beginnings in 1826, Bytown (early Ottawa) was divided geographically, with Uppertown to the west of the Rideau Canal and Lowertown to the east. Lowertown, then ... read more
