Bytown Museum, Library and Research Centre
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Location
Bytown Museum
P.O. Box 523, Station B
Ottawa, ON K1P 5P6 Canada
The Bytown Museum tells the story of Ottawa’s first century. Our tale begins in 1826 with the founding of Bytown by Lieutenant-Colonel John By and the workingmen who built the Rideau Canal.
We then turn to the legendary lumberjacks and lumber kings who transformed Bytown into the lumber capital of the world.
The rowdy lumbermen also helped to transform Bytown into one of the most violent places in British North America.
In just thirty years, Bytown evolved into the city of Ottawa. It changed its character and its name, and eventually became a thriving and civilized capital city.
The Museum is located in the heart of downtown Ottawa, at the Rideau Canal locks between Parliament Hill and the Château Laurier – one of the most picturesque sites in the city. Join us to explore Exhibits, Programs and Events that showcase our once rough-and-tumble past. Or just grab a coffee at our café and watch the boats go by.
Housed in Ottawa’s oldest stone building, the Bytown Museum traces the history of Ottawa’s early years, from the construction of the Rideau Canal and the rough-and-tumble days of Bytown, to the city’s emergence as the nation’s capital and beyond. The museum’s collection of over 7,000 artifacts includes some singularly important pieces, such as a cast of D’Arcy McGee's death hand.
The history of the Bytown Museum begins with the Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa (WCHSO), founded in 1898. The WCHSO quickly amassed a collection of artifacts relating to the history of Bytown/Ottawa. It became apparent that a museum was required to house this impressive collection and in 1917 the Bytown Museum opened its doors.
In 1951, the Bytown Museum moved to its current home, the Commissariat. The building was a treasury and storehouse during the construction of the Rideau Canal. In 1956, the WCHSO admitted men for the first time and thus changed their name to the Historical Society of Ottawa (HSO). Today the museum is run independently from the HSO.
The mandate of the Bytown Museum is to collect, preserve, research, exhibit and educate the public in regards to the growth and development of Bytown, the City of Ottawa and its environs from the founding of Bytown to 1918.
Contact:
Bytown Museum
Phone: (613) 234-4570
Fax: (613) 234-4846
Website: http://www.bytownmuseum.com/
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