PRESSURE IS MOUNTING IN OLD HULL. As an effect of gentrification, many iconic so-called matchstick houses are getting knocked down to make way for denser residential buildings. While the streets of Vieux-Hull are still for the most part lined with these distinctive maison dite allumettes, certain areas are now - or will soon be devoid of this history.
With their proximity to Ottawa's downtown core, these lots in Hull appeal to developers. Some recent projects were built close to interprovincial bridges, such as Heafey's VIU projects or Boulet's Le Vibe buildings.
The matchstick houses still standing today were built primarily at the turn of the 20th century to accommodate large working-class families, says Michelle Guitard, a historian who authored a book on Hull residential architecture. Many of these houses were erected to replace those destroyed in fires, namely the Great Hull Fire of 1900. That incident reduced to ashes more than 1,300 buildings - about 40 percent of Hull's territory.
This story is from the Spring - Summer 2023 edition of Ottawa Magazine.
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This story is from the Spring - Summer 2023 edition of Ottawa Magazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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