The first modest houses were probably built about 1875. The area was annexed to the city of Ottawa in 1911. Some sources suggest that the name Mechanicsville arose after this annexation because it became home to blue collar workers, especially those who worked in the rail yards, or lumber and paper mills who had been displaced by the Great Fire of 1900. The area is mostly residential, of wood-frame/wood siding 1900s era homes on grid streets. Along Parkdale Avenue, there are several newer highrise apartment buildings. To the east is an older industrial area along Bayview. The neighbourhood is beginning to reflect the rejuvenation found in neighbouring upscale developing communities like Westboro Village and Parkdale The neighbourhood has good bus access and has experienced infilling of town homes in recent years.