Powell House
Address: 85 Glebe Avenue
Construction date: before 1887
The Powell House reflects a wide trend in North America that saw the middle classes moving out of the traditional urban core and into suburbs, with big lots and neighbours of similar social class. This had a large impact on urban development across the continent. The Powell House has contributed to the neighbourhood's character since its construction.
The Powell House was completed in 1912 and was initially the dwelling of William Powell, the developer of the Clemow Estate. He was the developer of many houses designed for the upper middle classes on lands in the Glebe, near Patterson Creek and the Driveway, immediately before the First World War.
W.E. Noffke, a leading architect in the early 20th century was an architect that built many residences in Ottawa; this was his first in the Spanish Colonial Revival style.The Powell House is one of the best examples of the Spanish Colonial Revival style in Ottawa. It showcases a white stucco exterior, a red tile roof with exposed rafters and large brackets, a frieze below the eave line, detailed relief work, and a porte-cochere with large heavy buttresses.
The Powell House is currently owned by the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and is used as the Embassy of Vietnam.
