Abbotsford House

Abbotsford House is the Centre for Community Services at the Glebe Centre. It was originally built as a private residence for Alexander Mutchmor, a pioneer settler and business man of the Glebe. He named it after the the country home of renowned Scottish novelist, Sir Walter Scott.

In 1889 it was purchased by the Board of Directors of the Protestant Home of Refuge, a group of philanthropic citizens of Ottawa who desired to create a home to "assist those who through age, infirmity and misfortune were unable to help themselves". The group used the existing garden on the property as a source of industry for the men who lived at Abbotsford. The steward believed that "light, casual labour was good for the physical well-being of the residents and encouraged those who were physically able to employ their manual skills and knowledge in the cultivation of the arable soil". The produce was more than sufficient to meet the needs of the home and the surplus was sold privately to local grocers.

As the number of residents grew so did the momentum to expand. A new 16-storey building was constructed in 1974 alongside Abbotsford (commonly called "The Tower") and at the same time the organization was renamed "The Glebe Centre". All residents moved into the Tower and Abbotsford became "Abbotsford Seniors' Centre" and later "Abbotsford House".

Abbotsford House continues to be a thriving seniors' centre offering leisure, learning and fitness activities year round. It also houses a "Day Away" program for those in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease and its staff also provide a Seniors' Outreach Service for seniors who need help in their homes.

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