Description of Historic Place

Rockcliffe Park Historic District National Historic Site of Canada is a residential neighbourhood located northeast of downtown Ottawa. Incorporated as an independent municipality in 1921, it was amalgamated with the new City of Ottawa in 2001. This area’s design is determined by the region’s topography and woodlands. Its layout includes both small and large lots, winding roads and park like properties. The escarpment, which overlooks the Rideau River, and the MacKay Lake and Pond comprise its natural features. This historic district possesses a high degree of integrity and retains many key elements associated with its original design. Official recognition includes the entire former village of Rockcliffe Park, which corresponds to the boundaries established in the municipal conservation designation.

Heritage Value

Rockcliffe Park Historic District was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 2023. It is recognized because:

— designed and laid out in 1864 by Thomas Keefer as part of Thomas Mackay’s large estate purchased in the 1830s, it is characterized by its narrow curving roads without curbs or sidewalks, large lots and gardens, and buildings set within a green landscape, making it an excellent example of the English and American picturesque planning traditions of the late 19th century;

— its quality and architectural diversity, devised by several prominent architects, such as Allan Keefer, Werner Noffke, A.J. Hazelgrove, Hart Massey and A.J. Ames, promote the use of natural materials and site integration that respects the original rural ambience of the Village of Rockcliffe Park;

— planned as a purely residential district to house future civil servants moving to Ottawa, which became the capital of the new Dominion of Canada in 1867, it reflects the city’s role as capital and continues to provide a suitable environment for most of Ottawa’s diplomatic missions, thereby reinforcing Canada’s presence on the international stage.

Rockcliffe Park has played an important and unique role in the capital since its creation in the 1830s by Thomas MacKay, one of the main architects of the Rideau Canal lock system and later a renowned Ottawa industrialist. Most of the existing road network and cadastral plans date back to 1864, when Thomas Coltrin Keefer divided the MacKay estate into lots. The area has undergone four main construction phases: pre 1864, 1864–1907, 1908–1925 and 1926–present. Throughout its history, Rockcliffe Park has been, and remains today, a residential community composed mainly of single family homes. Other land uses, such as high density housing, and commercial and industrial development, have bypassed this area. This district is located at an important crossroads in pre European history, and bears witness to millennia of Indigenous land use and cultural traditions.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, December 2022.

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements contributing to the heritage value of this site include:

— its urban location northeast of downtown Ottawa, on the south bank of the Ottawa River;
— its clear signs of urban development founded on English and American picturesque planning traditions of the late 19th century, including its narrow curving roads without curbs or sidewalks, large lots and gardens, and buildings set within a green landscape;
— its building inventory consisting almost exclusively of very well preserved single family homes;
— the presence of a few institutional buildings, including three schools and a combined community centre and library;
— the presence of numerous works by eminent national and international architects, including Allan Keefer, Werner Noffke, A. J. Hazelgrove, Hart Massey and A.J. Ames, including Hart Massey House;
— the use of a variety of architectural styles, including Tudor, Georgian and Queen Anne;
— the wealth of parks and green spaces, including the Jubilee Garden and Village Green, as well as the Caldwell Carver Conservation Area bordering the lake;
— the presence of many mature hardwood trees lining the streets, cedar hedges, wide publicly owned verges, large front and back yards, private lanes and many original dry stone walls; and
— the varied panoramic views from different vantage points in Rockcliffe Park, including the Ottawa River and MacKay Lake.