Central Chambers (Ottawa) facts for kids
Central Chambers is a special building in Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It stands proudly at the corner of Elgin Street and Queen Street. This building is so important that it's been named a National Historic Site.
You can find Central Chambers at 42 to 54 Elgin Street, right next to another building called the Bell Block. It also faces the impressive Canadian War Memorial at Confederation Square.
What is Central Chambers?
Central Chambers was built a long time ago, between 1890 and 1893. It was designed by an architect named John James Browne from Montreal. The building shows off a cool design style called Queen Anne Revival. This style was popular for commercial buildings, meaning places where businesses had their offices.
A Building with Many Lives
When it was first built, Central Chambers was used as an office for the Canadian Atlantic Railway, which was a train company. Today, it's home to the National Capital Commission (NCC). The NCC is a government group that helps plan and develop Canada's capital region.
Its Journey to Today
The National Capital Commission bought Central Chambers in the 1960s. For many years in the 1970s and 1980s, the building was empty. But in 1992, plans were made to fix it up. In 1994, the NCC completely updated the inside of the building. The outside of Central Chambers was kept and became part of a new office tower complex.
In 1990, Central Chambers was officially recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada. This was because it's a great example of the Queen Anne Revival style used for business buildings.
Images for kids
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Central Chambers, 1893
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Queen Street
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Central Chambers, Bell Block, and Scottish Ontario Chambers
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Central Chambers (leftmost building) at Confederation Square
