The ByWard Market has been the heart of Ottawa's commercial activities since the early 19th century. Throughout its history it has been a market for farmers in the Ottawa region and associated with wholesale and retail purchase of natural products and trade of manufactured goods and supplies. It has provided the services and sometimes the industrial support to consolidate the markets role as the center of Ottawa commerce. The heart of the market is characterized by low profile buildings typical of the nineteenth century interspersed with succeeding commercial development until the 1970s. Its development pattern is extremely dense, covering full and sometimes multiple lots in many areas. Much of the land has been developed and redeveloped to provide services and support to its vital commerce. Secondary space in this area has traditionally been used for a variety of residential, storage and office facilities. In form, the architecture is diverse and layered, having been renovated, renewed and reformed frequently to adjust to changing commercial needs and priorities.Lowertown West comprises the City's oldest residential area. It was the civilian center of Ottawa from the British survey of the town site in 1826 until the turn of the 20th century. From about 1890 to the mid-1970s growth occurred in other areas of the city at the expense of Lowertown and much of the urban fabric east of King Edward and north of Boteler was demolished during urban renewal. The Lowertown West Heritage Conservation District encompasses the area of Lowertown west of King Edward Avenue and east of Sussex Avenue between Bolton and St. Patrick Streets. In this book, buildings on Guigues, Parent and St. Patrick Streets are included. Lowertown includes early institutional buildings, including the Basilica and the Elizabeth Bruyére Centre, and a rich collection of residential buildings that demonstrate the early history of Lowertown and its gradual evolution. This evolution is a crucial characteristic of the area, and it recognizes the heritage value of buildings constructed over a long period of time. The history of Lowertown West is also the history of generations of Ottawa's working people, both French and English speaking, and the physical record of that social history, represented by both the institutions and the residential buildings, is a major cultural resource for the City of Ottawa.