Postal
Station B, Ottawa, Canada
Architect
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W. E. Noffke
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Date Built
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1938 - 1939
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Location
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Official Address
47-59 Sparks Street - the corner of the building
seen above is at Elgin Street and Queen Street
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Description
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This
building is the Central Post Office in downtown
Ottawa, across from the National Arts
Centre. Designed by the Ottawa area
architect, W. F. Noffke, it is faced in
Queenston limestone and features chateau style
dormers set in a steep copper-clad roof. A
clock is set high up above the corner entrance.
Customers enter through a set of bronze doors
set within a frame that features a carved frieze
displaying the crests of Canada's
provinces.
Standing on guard on either side of the entrance
are a pair of lions created by the aptly named,
Coeur de Lion MacCarthy.
Postal Station B is
listed in the register of Historic Places in
Canada. In describing its
architectural significance that register
says that it represents, "... a very
good example of the Classical and
Château styles used in civic buildings
during the 1930s. The building’s
roof was imposed by a political
preference for large copper roofs, often
in the Château Style, and its smooth
stone face and minimal decoration
reflect the simplified character of
classicism during the early 20th
century. Its very good functional
quality is shown in the excellent
craftsmanship and materials used in the
exterior construction, as well as the
rich treatment of the public spaces
within. The building remains one of the
best examples of the architect W.E.
Noffke’s work."
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