(Posted 7:30 a.m., July 20)
19th century farmhouse leveled to make way for condo development
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

A 19th century farmhouse thought to be one of the earliest stone buildings in Orléans, now lies in rubble after it was demolished last Friday to make way for a condominium development.

The two-storey Gauthier House at 3495 Innes Rd. near Page Rd. was thought to have been built between 1875 and 1885 when the Village of Orléans was still very much in its infancy.

Although the farmhouse was listed amoung 10,000 structures in the City of Ottawa to have a "herirage interest", it was never officially declared a heritage building. It's demolition has Innes Ward Coun. Rainer Bloess calling for the heads of half of the city's heritage staff for not properly protecting it from the bulldozers.

"Half of them should be fired. This is the kind of stuff that shouldn't be allowed to happen, but unfortunately it did," says Bloess.

Heritage planner Sally Coutts says the farmhouse was never officially designated as a heritage building because it doesn't show up on the histoical atlas of the former municipality of Gloucester and its origin is subject to debbate. While some people believe it was constructed prior to 1870, it was more than likely built sometime after 1879.

The only building in Orléans that has been designated heritage under the Ontario Heritage Act is the Butler House at 1445 St. Joseph Blvd.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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