Room With A View

Room With A View. . WHEN Lieutenant-Colonel John By arrived from England to oversee the construction of the Rideau Canal, he selected this picturesque location for his family residence. Nestled high on a cliff, the attractive stone house overlooked the Ottawa River, the Chaudières Falls and the distant Gatineau Hills. Today, the scenic view from this modern day verandah recalls much of the region's 19th-century splendour. , COLONEL BY lived with his wife and two daughters in an ornate. cottage-syle home Visitors to the house were charmed by the residence with its English gardens and surrounding pastures. A British officer, Captain Alexander, described the house as being "tastefully ornamented with rustic verandahs and trellis work...", FOLLOWING Colonel By's return to England in 1832, the house remained a military residence and was subsequently occupied by British officers Bolton and Ford. In 1848, an unexplained fire destroyed all but the chimneys and foundation of the original two-storey home.