Search

Besserer House

149 Daly Avenue

Written by Bytown Museum on 03/Dec/2009

A photograph of Besserer House in Sandy Hill.

One of Sandy Hill’s oldest buildings, Besserer House was constructed for the neighbourhood’s founder, Louis-Théodore Besserer. Besserer was a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada in the 1830s. In 1839 he left Québec City to develop the remote land that had been granted to his brother, Lieutenant René-Léonard Besserer, for service in the War of 1812 (René-Léonard died in 1823).

To spur development of his land, Besserer had his home prominently located on the brow of Sandy Hill. After his death in 1863, the family sold the house to Father of Confederation William McDougall. The residence was subsequently occupied by a succession of prominent government officials, military officers and businessmen.

Prior to 1918, the kitchen of Besserer House was located in the basement. This was a common household plan in Ottawa until the end of the 1870s, because the warm air rising from the ever-burning kitchen fire helped heat the house above.


post a comment Story Comments

I am a decendent of the Besserer family. My grandmother Margaret Besserer married Charles A. Blinn date unknown. My records are very vague as my relatives have since passed. Margaret Besser and Charles Blinn had two children, Evelyn Ruth and Charles Evatt Blinn. As a young child I remeber my Grandma telling me some of the Besserer history but now is all lost. Could someone please contact me with any more information. Thank you.

Catharine Blinn, Thursday, October 27, 2011

He was my greatgrandfather. Georges, one of his son was the father of my mother Marguerite Besserer. We used to live in Sandy Hill, and in fact for some time on Daly Street at the corner of Nelson and Daly. Louis-Theodore was also instrumental in the incorporation of Bytown and latter I believe Ottawa. He gave a part of the land to the then diocese, land on which a college was bulit which became the University of Ottawa and also a church, which is St- Joseph's church. Laurier Street was named Louis-Theodore street before the change to Laurier.

Georges Tissot, Saturday, July 09, 2011

Post a comment

Bytown Museum

Neighbourhood

When development began in earnest in Sandy Hill in the 1860s, the area was a desolate place where for 30 years the trees had been logged to build houses and warm the growing communities ... read more