Imagine spending £95 sterling to purchase 200 acres of what would one day constitute the heart of downtown Ottawa – a swath extending from Wellington Street to present-day Laurier Avenue, from Bronson Avenue to Waller Street.

In addition, Nicholas Sparks’ house, on the north side of Sparks Street between Lyon and Bay Streets, would be the first stone house built in Ottawa, in 1829, and would remain standing until 1954.

Ashley Newall delves further into the story and shares fascinating series of colourized images: apt613.ca/capital-history-ottawa-nicholas-sparks-house/

Ashley Newall is an Ottawa singer-songwriter-musician and history writer, whose stories can be found his Capital History (CapHistOttawa) social media pages, his ashleynewall.ca website and on Apt613.ca.