Victoria Tower (Canada) - Misplaced Pages

Former bell tower in Ottawa, Canada

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The Victoria Tower was the prominent main bell tower of the original Centre Block parliament building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The 55-metre-high (180 ft) tower was the centre piece of Parliament Hill that was constructed from 1859 to 1866 by Thomas Fuller. It was destroyed during the great fire of the Centre Block on 3 February 1916. Its replacement, the Peace Tower, was built on the same location but the design (larger clock face, ornamental Victoria High Gothic vs. simpler Modern Gothic) and height were radically changed. The original tower bore some similarities to the tower at the Parliament Building (Quebec) (still standing).

Interior

Inside the walls of the tower was a vacant space with a series of staircases leading to the bell tower. The upper section of the bell tower had a spiral staircase that lead to the spire outside and inside the support and actual bells. Access to the tower was from the second floor of the Centre Block as the ground floor was empty space that formed the opening and entrance to the Centre Block.

Victoria Tower Bell

The Victoria Tower Bell is the only relic remaining from the Victoria Tower. It was cast in 1875 and installed in the tower in 1877. The bell fell from the tower during the Centre Block fire of 1916. The actual tower structure (outer walls) survived the fire, but the upper bell tower had collapsed on February 3 and was torn down during the reconstruction of the Centre Block.

The bell was restored in the year 2000, and placed on the grounds of Parliament Hill as a monument to the 1916 fire and to Canada's first Centre Block parliamentary building. It is showcased on a circular granite base, etched as the face of a clock, that represents its role in the keeping of time. The bell's inclined position recalls the angle at which it came to rest after falling during the fire of 1916.

References

Canada, Senate of. "The Two Towers: Uncovering Centre Block's lost foundations". SenCanada. Retrieved 2024-09-26.

Sources

Public Works and Government Services Canada

v t e Parliament Hill
Parliament of Canada	West Block Centre Block East Block
Centre Block	Senate Commons Peace Tower Library of Parliament
Monuments	Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Centennial Flame Queen's Gates Victoria Tower Bell War of 1812 Monument Statues
Parliamentary Precinct	Confederation Building Justice Annex Justice Building Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council Sir John A. Macdonald Building Victoria Building Wellington Building 144 Wellington Street Parliament Hill Rehabilitation
Miscellaneous	Parliament Hill cat colony

v t e Landmarks in Ottawa
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Parks and natural landmarks	Central Experimental Farm Dominion Arboretum Chaudière Falls Confederation Park Green Island Greenbelt Mer Bleue Bog Hog's Back Falls Kìwekì Point Lansdowne Park Major's Hill Park Ottawa River Petrie Island Rideau Falls Rideau River Victoria Island
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45°25′30″N 75°42′00″W / 45.4249°N 75.6999°W / 45.4249; -75.6999

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