The Building
In 1861, the widowed Janet Anderson split her property into 8 blocks for each of her children. Her daughter, Jane Hale, received "Block 4", which included both sides of Sherbrooke Avenue (fig 1).
Hale's property was then split after it came under the ownership of John Henry. Heney split Block 4 into East and West halves, sold to Captain Allan Fraser (1867) and Francis Abbott (1863), respectively. Together, Abbott and Fraser devised a subdivision plan for what would then be known as Division Street.
Despite the block changing hands since 1831, Sherbrooke Avenue did not see its first development until 1877, where 39 Sherbrooke was built. The real estate market was generally slower than expected at the time due to the vast majority of real estate agents and investors waiting to develop lots bought in bulk.
Many of the houses on Sherbrooke, and much of the area around it, would be built when streetcars, water service, and schools arrived and increased demand around WWI.
For more information, see "The Village of Hintonburg (1830-)" in Hintonburg & Mechanicsville: Narrative History by John Leaning.
9 Sherbrooke was built c.1910, with its earliest appearance in the Ottawa City Directory and Fire Insurance Plan dating to 1912 (fig. 2 and 3).
This building (fig. 4) is a two-story wood construction jacketed in a red brick veneer like much of the neighbourhood. It is representative of the gable-front type, seen in the narrow, triangular side of the house facing the street. In what would be its "original" form it boasted eight rooms in a prime location "one minute from [street] cars" (fig. 5).
Currently, 7 and 9 Sherbrooke are connected by a shared wall. This connection likely took place between 1933 and 1958, as seen in aerial photos of the plot's development (fig. 6.).
Behind the property is a small cabin, 9A Sherbrooke (fig. 7 and 8), which has also been home to residents of its own over the years.