Description of Historic Place

Sited on farmland in Gloucester township, the Powell House is an attractive, red brick farmhouse with an off-centre gable roof. A verandah runs along the front of the house. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Powell House is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value:
The Powell House is associated with 19th century farming in Gloucester township. It is also associated with the National Capital Commission’s mandate to make Ottawa a suitable national capital by the establishment of a Greenbelt around the city.

Architectural Value:
The Powell House is a very good example of an attractive, typical rural residence of the second half of the nineteenth century. It is a pattern book house recommended for rural use. This is reflected in the building’s broad proportions, increased ground floor area, and, with the exception of the turned details on the verandah, a lack of ornament. Good design is evident.

Environmental Value:
The Powell House maintains an unchanged relationship to its site and reinforces the present agricultural character of its rural setting that forms part of the Ottawa Greenbelt.

Sources:
Leslie Maitland, Powell House, Ridge Road, Gloucester Township, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 86-051; Powell House, Ridge Road, Gloucester Township, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 86-051.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Powell House should be respected.

Its attractive, rural residence design and good quality materials and craftsmanship, as evidenced in:
-the one-and-a-half-storey, asymmetrical but balanced massing and broad proportions;
-the off-centre gable with a smaller gable set back to one side;
-the red brick exterior walls;
-the verandah that runs along the length of the façade;
-the generous ground floor area.

The manner in which the Powell House maintains an unchanged relationship to its site and reinforces the present agricultural character of the rural setting, as evidenced by:
-its ongoing relationship to its agricultural surroundings;
-its pattern book house appearance which complements the nearby farmhouses.