Editing 7 Rideau Gate (section)

==History==
The house was built in 1862 for [[Henry Osgoode Burritt]], an Ottawa woollen mill owner. Burritt sold the house in 1873, for the sum of $10,000, to [[Philemon Wetherall Wright]], who named the house 'Edgewood' in acknowledgement of its location (then) at the edge of the town.

The Wrights departed Edgewood three years later, leaving it vacant until it was purchased in 1884 by [[Octavius Henry Lambart]], a son of the [[Frederick Lambart, 8th Earl of Cavan|8th Earl of Cavan]]. The Lambarts remained in the house until 1934, passing it to Octavius' son, [[Frederick Howard John Lambart]].

Commodore [[Percy W. Nelles]], Chief of Staff of the [[Royal Canadian Navy]], became the occupant of 7 Rideau Gate in 1947. He renovated the house to remove its verandas and gut its [[Victorian architecture|Victorian]] interiors.

The last private owner was [[T. Franklin Ahearn|Thomas Franklin Ahearn]] (son of the inventor [[Thomas Ahearn]]), who further altered the structure by removing the roof walk and adding exterior shutters, a sunroom on the east side of the original building, and a wing on the west side. Ahearn's daughter [[Lilias Massey|Lilias]], who grew up in the house, would later become the [[Viceregal consort of Canada|châtelaine]] of [[Rideau Hall]] during her father-in-law [[Vincent Massey]]'s term as [[Governor General of Canada]].<ref name=girl>"Girl Who Grew Up Around Corner Rideau 'First Lady'." ''[[Toronto Star]]'', May 10, 1952.</ref>

The property was acquired by the Crown in 1966. The house was, with the assistance of the Canadiana Fund, restored and renovated in 1989 to reinstate historical features, as well as to upgrade the guest facilities. Art and furniture from the [[National Capital Commission]]'s (NCC) Official Residences [[Crown Collection]] are used throughout, as are pieces donated by the Lambart family.