Located in the Centretown Heritage Conservation District the historic Laurentian Club, located at 252 Metcalfe St., was commissioned by lumber baron John R. Booth and built in 1909. It was designated a National Historic Site by the Canadian government in 1990.
This red-bricked mansion’s grand, medieval-style square tower, impressive facades and weathered but regal green trim make it a sight hard to miss.
Booth’s Metcalfe Street mansion was designed by architect John W.H. Watts, who was behind the design of a number of other prominent Ottawa buildings, including the Glebe-St. James United Church, which was buillt in 1905 and still stands today.
The property has changed hands on two occasions since its construction. Following Booth’s death in 1925, the mansion remained in the Booth family until its purchase by the Laurentian Club of Ottawa in 1947.
While under the ownership of the Laurentian Club, the mansion accommodated lavish dinners, dances and other social events. Trinity Western University bought the historic site when the Laurentian Club closed in 2000; the mansion functions today as the Laurentian Leadership Centre, a residential internship program for undergraduate and graduate students.
Though the mansion shows its age with its weathered trim and stained stone facade, this elegant structure remains an abode fit for a baron.