81 Frank St., Golden Triangle, Ottawa

 The John F. Hurdman house — 

The address does not appear in the 1901 City Directory, but is listed in 1908 as the home of John F. Hurdman — yes, those Hurdmans, of lumbering and farming and paving and whatnot note. Our best guess for a build date comes from this social announcement in the Ottawa Journal, October 20 1906 —

Madge (as we will eventually learn) was the sister of John Alexander Fraser Hurdman. She had recently moved into #81, built over the summer of 1906. That she would "receive" indicates that she was the de facto lady of the house. That she would not receive until December afforded her a good month to see her brother's chateau properly furnished and decorated.

The 1908 Directory lists those members of the Hurdman clan living within Ottawa city limits thus — those living at 81 Frank are highlighted in yellow.

I specify "within city limits" because this roster doesn't include any family members living on the substantial Hurdman acreages in Gloucester Township, abutting the eastern bank of the Rideau River, immediately south of the Hurdman Bridge settlement.

So, who were these people? Beechwood Cemetery has put together a nice little family bio for us.

One of Ottawa’s enduring dynasties, the Hurdman brothers were pioneers in industrial and agricultural development along the Rideau River. The patriarch of the clan, Charles Hurdman, was one of the first European arrivals in the Ottawa Valley. Originally from Ireland, he joined Philemon Wright’s settlement in Hull. After six years, he left Wright’s employ to farm his property on the Aylmer Road.

His first son, William H. Hurdman, was born in Hull in 1818, and was the first child born of old country parentage in Hull. Under the name ‘Hurdman Brothers,’ William started the family lumber business in 1841 with his brothers Charles and Robert. It became one of the largest timber operations in Quebec.

In the early 1870s, William and Robert established themselves in the Junction Gore area of Gloucester Township, branching into large-scale farming. Eventually, both brothers were farming 200 to 300 acres each, using the most progressive methods of the day. William became director of two district agricultural societies. They won international awards for their horse breeding at the Centennial Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia. William also organized the Dominion Exhibition of 1879.

The brothers continued working in the lumber industry as well. They built their own bridge across the Rideau River to connect with their lumber and storage yards, and allowed travellers and the municipality to use it. It was the third span across the Rideau. When the Great Fire of 1900 wiped out the family’s lumber mills at the Chaudière, the Hurdman brothers did not rebuild and decided to concentrate their efforts on farming.

William and Robert established the earliest and largest piggery in Gloucester Township. The area around their farms became known as Hurdman’s Bridge, a populous area of farmers and railway workers, including many German immigrants. It is now the site of the Ottawa railway terminal. William Hurdman died on Feburary 20, 1901, Robert Hurdman died in May 4, 1904 and Charles in 1906.

The present contracting firm of Hurdman Brothers (T. Fraser and Walter) was hired to remove the railway tracks from the downtown core of Ottawa in the late 1950s. Today, the firm specializes in moving heavy machinery and equipment.

Here's a detail from H. Belden's 1879 of Junction Gore in Gloucester Township, showing the Hurdman lands (in green), with the present location of the Hurdman Transit Station indicated by a yellow "T." Note two separate holdings in the name of R/Robt who was John A.F.'s father.

(The word "Janeville" near the top sits next to Cummings Bridge at the west end of Montreal Road; the red line running N-S was the Baseline road between Junction Gore (L) and the Ottawa River Front (R), now St, Laurent Boulevard.)

But enough with the context. John A.F. Hurdman, who likely had the house at 81 Frank built for himself and his family, was the son of Robert Hurdman (Sr.), one of the three original "Hurdman Brothers." Consider this timeline — Spring 1900, Great Fire destroys Hurdman Mills at Hull* > Spring 1904, Robert Hurdman dies > 1906, son John builds a house on Frank > 1908, Directory describes John as executor of his father Robert's estate.

And who were these people living with John? A visit to Wiki Tree confirms that Robert A. was John's elder brother, Harry was his younger brother, and Margaret "Madge" his younger sister — four siblings sharing a somewhat odd-looking house. I wonder what the neighbours though of that.

A year after moving into 81 Frank, John Hurdman married Catherine Hogarth. By 1909 the couple had moved to a modest row-house at 73 Cartier (no longer standing.) The rest of the family vacated the castle no later than 1912. I find no indication that John and Catherine had children.  He died in 1932 at age 55. She lived on at the Cartier St. address until at least 1944 — I can find not other information about her.

Regarding the house — our photo shows the entire structure clad in molded concrete faux-stone. Goad 1912 indicates a complete concrete build. The style is odd — probably more Queen Anne than anything else, although houses in that style in Ottawa were almost always finished in red brick.

*Sources variously state the Hurdman Mills as having been on LeBreton Flats, the Chaudière Islands, and the Philemon Wright properties (Philemon Island?). In fact, Goad's "Lumber District" plans from 1885 show "Sherman Lord & Hurdman" holdings on Philemon Island as well on Brewery Creek, near the upstream mouth, directly west of the Théâtre de l'Île Island.