Hydro Sub-Station No. 4 - Ottawa, Ontario - Historic Transformer Sub-Stations Buildings on Waymarking.com

Hydro Sub-Station No. 4 is a red brick, "L" shaped building, constructed in 1931, located on the east side of King Edward Avenue, north of Rideau Street.

Hydro Sub-Station No. 4 has design value as an excellent example of an industrial building influenced by the Modern Classical Style and is an important example of the early to mid 20th century hydro sub-stations in Ottawa. The Modern Classical style is a variant of the Art Deco style that was popular in the 1920s and 1930s and often used for public buildings. This style maintained essential elements of classicism while limiting the use of ornamentation. Typical of its style, Hydro Sub-Station No. 4 features decorative metal work, parapet with stone detailing and stone stringcourse. The decorative design of Hydro Sub-station No. 4 reflects the importance of hydro buildings and the expansion of the electrical network in the early to mid 20th century.

Hydro Sub-Station No. 4 has historical value for its associations with the early development of the Ottawa Hydro Electric Commission and the growth of Ottawa in the 20th century. In 1905, the City of Ottawa, frustrated by the Lack of competition and the resulting high rates for electric services, bought the Consumers Electric Company, and formed the Municipal Electric Department of the City of Ottawa (Municipal Electric). The result of the City Joining the electricity transmission and distribution industry was an immediate drop in rates and increase in usage. In 1916, Municipal Electric became the Ottawa Hydro Electric Commission (Ottawa Hydro) and functioned as an independent body.The demand for electricity increased rapidly during the 1920s and Ottawa Hydro undertook an ambitious building program to meet this growing demand. Hydro Sub-Station No. 4 was built by Ottawa Hydro during this period of growth and expansion. Hydro Sub-Station No. 4 is also reflective of the growth of Ottawa through population increase and annexation during the early years of the 20th century. It was the first sub-station to be built east of the canal, and the last to be built before the Second World War.

The building has associative value as representative of the work of well-known local architect William C. Beattie. A well-known local architect who specialized in non-residential buildings, Beattie also designed Ottawa Hydro's office building at 109 Bank Street (1934) and the sub- station at 1275 Carling Avenue (1929). Beattie is also known for his work with the Ottawa Public School Board, designing their offices at 330 Gilmour Street (1922), and the York Street Public School (1921).

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"All five Hydro-Hub Stations in Ottawa are still used by Hydro Ottawa to reduce the voltage coming from transmission lines before the electricity is transmitted to homes and businesses."

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Creation date: 1931 Status: Active Current use: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   11/15/2023 Castor007 visited it