53 Adelaide Street, the Glebe, Ottawa

 53 Adelaide was built circa 1912, at the south end of the street, on the east side. It began life as one of the humblest structures you might hope to find in the Glebe — flat-roofed and wooden, 2 storeys up front dropping to a single storey in the rear, the latter presumably housing the kitchen. Barely more than a shack, its first occupant was Alfred Gravelle, a bartender.

The original configuration appears on Goad's sheet 151, 1912 (red arrows.)

This is not the building we see today.

On close examination, the brick veneer looks suspiciously modern — "work" has been done. Aerial photos give us an idea of how the house grew — no later that 1928, the rear had been raised to a full two storeys, and some time between 1965 and 1976, a pitched roof was added, creating another half storey.