Description of Historic Place

The Slater Building stands on the north side of Sparks Street in the core of the Ottawa business district. It is an attractive, three-storey, stone-fronted building distinguished by arched windows, sandstone columns, decorative brickwork and stone detailing. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

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

Historical Value:
The Slater Building is associated with the commercial development of Sparks Street westward towards Bank Street in the late-19th century. Constructed as a speculative investment by Ottawa grocer, Robert and Esther Slater, long-prominent members of the Ottawa elite since the latter was the daughter of Nicholas Sparks from the notable Ottawa family. Initially rented out as 14 small offices, the Slater Building reflects the commercial development of Sparks Street westward to Bank in the late nineteenth century.

Architectural Value:
The Slater Building is valued for its very good aesthetics as an imaginative eclectic design showing Romanesque influence. The quality of the building’s design and rehabilitation by the Public Works Commission gives the building an attractive appearance, which the City of Ottawa recognized by awarding the building a certificate of merit in 1983. It exhibits good functional design, craftsmanship and materials.

Environmental Value:
The Slater Building reinforces the commercial character of its central business district setting in Ottawa and is familiar to local residents, people working in the vicinity and pedestrians.

Sources: Dana Johnson, Nineteen Federally owned Properties - Sparks Street, Slater Building, 181-183 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Heritage Buildings Review Office Report 85-027; Slater Building, 181-183 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 85-027.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Slater Building should be respected.

Its very good Romanesque design elements, good functional design and good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example: the three-storey massing of the symmetrical façade; the ground storey with large, glazed shop fronts clasped by rusticated stone pillars at either end; the first floor that features three windows separated by paired columns with carved capitals, the side openings surmounted by carved stone panels and the middle window divided by an unusual stylized carved sandstone column; the brick corbelling and stone stringcourse above; the second storey including four arched windows with brick keys, curved voussoirs and stone imposts and a complex arrangement of brick corbelling; the decorative brickwork that rises to a projecting cornice.

The manner in which the Slater Building reinforces the commercial character of its central business district setting in Ottawa, and is a familiar landmark as evidenced by: its scale, design and materials that maintain a visual and physical relationship between the surrounding buildings and the Sparks Street streetscape; its familiarity to visitors, passing pedestrians, and local residents.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The Slater Building was built in 1894. Both the builder and the architect are unknown. It was Recognized because of its very good design and craftsmanship as well as its setting which reinforces the character of the area. It forms a unit with its neighbours, the Brouse (181-183 Sparks) and the Dover (185-187 Sparks) buildings.

HISTORICAL ASSOCIATIONS
This building is one of 19 buildings located on the north side of Sparks Street between Elgin and Bank streets, an area which has been, since the 1880s at least, the core of Ottawa's central business district. The slater Building was constructed as a speculative investment by Robert and Esther Slater, long-prominent members of the Ottawa élite since the latter was the daughter of Nicholas Sparks. During the 1890s, commercial properties began to appear on Sparks Street. The first to build was Henry Brouse at 181-83 Sparks; he completed his rental property in 1893. The next year, the Slaters followed with a three-storey stone-fronted building which was initially rented out as 14 small offices. An Ottawa hardware dealer, A.J. Stephens, completed the row two years later with his new hardware store at 185-187 Sparks. The Slater Building reflects the commercial development of Sparks Street westward to Bank in the late nineteenth century, as well as the persistence of the three-storey commercial block during this period. It is also connected with a notable Ottawa family, the Slaters.

ARCHITECTURE
Though the gound floor has been changed and the interiors entirely renovated, the exterior retains the basic appearance of the original design which in typical late-Victorian fashion, combined elements of a number of styles into a panache which bespoke of eclecticism and individuality rather than of any single architectural tradition. Originally, the ground storey included two cast-iron shopfronts clasped ;by rusticated stone pillars at either end. The first floor contains an array of elements: a traditional romanesque grouping of three windows separated by paired columns, with the side openings surmounted by carved stone panels and the middle window divided by an unusual stylized carved sandstone column. The second storey consists of an extremely lively and plastic arrangement of brickwork, including four arched windows with brick keys, curved voussoirs and stone imposts and a complex arrangement of brick corbelling rising to a strongly projecting cornice. The assemblage is a quite free interpretation of the romanesque style handled with the eclecticism which characterized late nineteenth century design.

ENVIRONMENT
This is a relatively low structure on a block on which much taller and more recent buildings predominate. The quality of its design and of PWC's rehabilitation gives the building an attractive appearance which the city of Ottawa recognized by awarding the building a certificate of merit in 1983.