View source for Earnscliffe

{{Short description|Canadian diplomatic residence}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{More citations needed|date=January 2017}}
{{Infobox historic site
| name                 = Earnscliffe
| native_name          = 
| native_language      = 
| other_name           = 
| etymology            = 
| image                = Earnscliffe.JPG
| caption              = 
| alt                  = 
| locmapin             = 
| mapframe             = yes
| coordinates          = {{coord|45.437378|N|75.698912|W|region:CA-ON_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| location             = 140 [[Sussex Drive]]<br />[[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| area                 = 
| elevation            = 
| founded              = 
| founder              = 
| built                = 1855–57
| original_use         = 
| current_use          = Residence of the [[British High Commissioner to Canada]]
| architect            = 
| architecture         = [[Gothic Revival architecture in Canada|Gothic Revival]]
| governing_body       = 
| owner                = [[British government]] (since 1930)
| visitation_num       = 
| visitation_year      = 
| website              = 
| designation1         = National Historic Site of Canada
| designation1_offname = Earnscliffe National Historic Site of Canada
| designation1_date    = May 30, 1960
| designation1_number  =
| designation2         = 
| designation2_offname =
| designation2_date    =
| designation2_number  =
}}
'''Earnscliffe''' is a [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] [[manor house|manor]] in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]], built in the [[Gothic Revival architecture in Canada|Gothic Revival]] style.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=12684&pid=0|title=HistoricPlaces.ca - HistoricPlaces.ca|website=www.historicplaces.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-11-08}}</ref> During the late 19th century, it was home to Canada's first Prime Minister, Sir [[John A. Macdonald]]. Since 1930, it has served as the residence of the [[British High Commissioner to Canada]].

==Location and heritage status==

The property overlooks the [[Ottawa River]], just east of the [[Macdonald-Cartier Bridge]]. It is located to the northwest of [[Sussex Drive]], across from the [[Lester B. Pearson Building]].

The house is a [[National Historic Sites of Canada|National Historic Site]] and the location of a plaque erected by the [[Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada]]. However, since it is a diplomatic residence, it is closed to visitors except for special public events, such as [[Doors Open Ottawa]]. It was designated as "Earnscliffe National Historic Site of Canada" on May 30, 1960.<ref name=":0" />

==History==

The manor was built by [[Thomas McKay]]'s company for his son-in-law, John McKinnon, from 1855 to 1857.<ref>{{cite journal
 | title ="Earnscliffe, Ottawa."
 | journal =Dominion Illustrated News (Montreal)
 | volume =6
 | issue =155
 | pages =579
 | date =June 20, 1891
 }}</ref> McKinnon died suddenly in 1866 and the house was purchased by another of McKay's sons-in-law, Thomas Keefer. Two years later, he sold it to Thomas Reynolds, a railroad developer. Reynolds resided there for several years, and it was during this period that the house got the name ''Earnscliffe'', an archaic term for "eagle's cliff".

Reynolds died in 1879, and his son sold the house to Sir John A. Macdonald in 1883. Macdonald had earlier stayed with Reynolds, and there are some stories that he gave it its name. When Sir John A. Macdonald visited, they discussed about its name as ''Eaglescliffe'', but he suggested the [[Old English]] word for eagle, {{lang|ang|earn}}, and his suggestion was accepted.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://hsottawa.ncf.ca/Dnlds/P61.pdf|title=Earnscliffe|last=Lady Veronica Goodenough|publisher=The historical society of Ottawa|isbn=0-920960-74-X|pages=4}}</ref> In 1888, Macdonald made several additions to the structure. In 1891, Macdonald fell ill, and he died in his room at Earnscliffe.

His widow, [[Agnes Macdonald, 1st Baroness Macdonald of Earnscliffe|Lady Macdonald]], briefly continued to reside in the home after his death, and [[Queen Victoria]] made her Baroness Macdonald of Earnscliffe. Soon, however, Lady Macdonald and her daughter departed for England and leased the house to [[Ivor Herbert, 1st Baron Treowen|Lord Treowen]], commander of the militia. Over the next decades, the building was home to several local notables, including Mrs. [[Charles A.E. Harriss]].

In 1930, [[William Henry Clark]], the first British high commissioner to Canada, arranged to buy the house for the British government. It has been the home of the British high commissioner ever since.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/doors/2017.pl?id=41&lang=en|title=Earnscliffe, British High Commissioner's Official Residence|website=ottawa.ca|language=en|access-date=2017-11-08}}</ref>

In 2005, a plaque and tree was installed on the grounds of Earnscliffe, in commemoration of the [[CANLOAN]] program and its participants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webcast.ottawa.ca/plan/All_Image%20Referencing_Site%20Plan%20Application_Image%20Reference_2019-12-23_140%20Sussex_1st%20Sub_Stage1%262%20Archaelogical%20Assessments.PDF|title=Stage 1 and 2 Archaeological Assessments 'Earnscliffe' - 140 Sussex Drive Part Lot O, Broken Front C, Geographic Township of Nepean, City of Ottawa, Ontario|website=webcast.ottawa.ca|page=22|publisher=Past Recovery Archaeological Services Inc.|access-date=2 October 2020|date=12 November 2019}}</ref>

On October 4, 2011, a fire damaged the building. British High Commissioner [[Andrew Pocock]], living in the house at the time, was fine and no one was injured in the fire.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-s-historic-earnscliffe-manor-damaged-by-fire-1.1125006|title=Ottawa's historic Earnscliffe Manor damaged by fire|work=CBC News|access-date=2017-11-08|language=en}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[British High Commission, Ottawa]]
* [[List of designated heritage properties in Ottawa]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120723071131/http://ukincanada.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/pdf1/earnscliffe-history 1955 booklet outlining the history of the building (pdf)]

{{NHSC}}
{{John A. Macdonald}}

[[Category:Diplomatic residences in Ottawa]]
[[Category:Gothic Revival architecture in Ottawa]]
[[Category:Canada–United Kingdom relations]]
[[Category:National Historic Sites in Ontario]]
[[Category:Houses completed in 1855]]
[[Category:John A. Macdonald]]
[[Category:Designated heritage properties in Ottawa]]
[[Category:Sussex Drive]]