Moses Chamberlain Edey

Moses Chamberlain Edey (1845–1919) was an Ottawa architect who designed the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park, a National Historic Site and the Daly Building (1905–1992), which was Ottawa's first department store.

His architectural styles were Gothic, Romanesque, and Beaux Arts, with the Daly Building a Chicago style. Edey had worked with Ottawa architect W.E. Noffke and Ottawa architect Francis Conroy Sullivan had once worked as a draftsman for Edey.

History

Moses Edey was born 1845 in the southwestern area of Quebec, Pontiac County near Shawville. He was the second son of six children of Richard and Mary Edey, descendants of United Empire Loyalists. The Edeys were part of the second wave of settlers to the Ottawa Valley, after Philemon Wright arrived in 1800 (the founder of Hull, Quebec ). Moses Edey came to Hull, Quebec from Randolph, Vermont, in 1805. Moses' father, Richard had been born in 1812 in Aylmer, Quebec. Moses designed the red-brick Methodist chapel that still stands on Vanier Road, Aylmer. Artifacts from the Mayflower still exist, the possessions of the family of Moses' mother, whose ancestors journeyed on that famous ship.

Following some time with the Casey Tool Company of Auburn, New York, he later worked for 10 years in design and construction in Ottawa under an A. Sparks. Thereafter, he concentrated on architecture.

Daly Building ca. 1912, Rideau Street with tram streetcar. This building was demolished in 1991-1992 accompanied by a huge amount of publicity, controversy and criticism. By the 1860s Moses Edey had completed apprenticeships in architecture and building construction, as well as in carriage design and construction. Mount Pleasant (apparently gone), a home at 40 Riverdale Avenue (City of Ottawa has an archive picture probably CA-2954)