Monday, November 05, 2018

Bridgemaster's House

A white clapboard building in Burritt's Rapids, now the local library, was originally the bridgemaster's house. The bridgemaster operated the swing bridge on Grenville Street that crosses the south fork of the Rideau River.


The building, designed by David Ewart and constructed between 1913 to 1915, replaced an earlier one from the 1850s. On August 1, 1992 the bridgemaster's house, a Rideau Canal National Historic Site, was designated a Federal Heritage Building.




On June 22, 1982, in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Rideau Canal, this Bridgemaster's House, renovated by Parks Canada, was opened to be used as a library by the Township of Oxford-on-Rideau.


Le 22 juin 1982, en commémoration du 150e anniversaire du canal Rideau, la residence du maïtre pontier, rénovée par Parcs Canada, devenait une bibliothèque à l'usage de la municipalité d'Oxford-on-Rideau.