Niagara’s History Unveiled: The John Breakenridge homes
John Breakenridge, once thought to be a traitor to Upper Canada and to have buried six slaves on his property. Just who is this man? In this article, I plan to dispel several rumours about
Denise Ascenzo has been a member of the Niagara Historical Society since 2012. She volunteers for the museum as a summer tour guide and has been involved in the cemetery vignettes since 2014.In October of 2014, Ascenzo was elected as a board member of the Niagara Historical Society. In October of 2018 she was given the position of Vice President of the Society. Ascenzo does not claim to be a historian but a person with a passion for history. She loves to tell historical stories about Niagara-on-the-Lake in a way that any person, who hated history in school, will enjoy reading.
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Niagaras History Unveiled: The summer that never arrived
As I sat inside and bemoaned the fact it snowed in Niagara this week and is still freezing outside, I wondered if this had happened before. What I discovered was quite interesting. In 1815,
Niagaras History Unveiled: St. Andrews Presbyterian Church
One of the most striking buildings in Niagara-on- the-Lake is St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on Simcoe Street between Gage and Centre Streets. It was the first church built NOTL, constructed in 1794 under
Niagara’s History Unveiled: St. Vincent de Paul Graveyard
Graveyard or cemetery? Why two words for a place where people are buried? A graveyard refers to the burial area that is adjacent to a church, whereas a cemetery stands on its own
Niagara’s History Unveiled: Solomon Moseby
Niagara-on-the-Lake was a pulpit for the abolition of slavery in Canada, where signifiant events took place, such as the escape of runaway slave Solomon Moseby. Moseby’s case had an underlying question: can property
Niagara’s History Unveiled: A stroll down Queen St.
Taking a stroll along NOTL’s historic Queen Street can drum up a lot of historical curiosity, and with the many changes the buildings and structures have seen throughout the years, there is plenty
Niagara’s History Unveiled: Our Western Home
Many might not know the history of Our Western Home, an orphanage for young girls that was operated out of the old courthouse on King Street, where Rye Street Heritage Park is now located. On Dec.
Niagara’s History Unveiled: Four notable women of NOTL
In my first article for Niagara Now, I spoke about an amazing woman, Janet Carnochan, who insisted that Niagara-on-the-Lake needed to preserve the history of the town. As well, we all know about
Niagara’s History Unveiled: Colonel John Butler
In Niagara-on-the-Lake, there are many references to Lieutenant Colonel John Butler — Butler’s Barracks, Butler Street, Butler Homestead, the Best Western Colonel Butler Inn and Butler’s Bar and Grill, formerly Butler’s Sports Bar
Niagara’s History Unveiled: Parliament Oak School
With the controversy that swirled around the closure of Parliament Oak Public School and now the refusal of the Niagara District School Board to sell the property back to the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake,
Niagaras History Unveiled: Henry Paffard and the Niagara Apothecary
Henry Paffard was Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake for 26 years. He served three terms in office: 1863-1874, 1875-1880 and 1888-1896 — terms that came with a great many difficulties. After the completion of
Niagara’s History Unveiled: The Queen’s Royal Hotel
In the 1860s, the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake suffered an economic blow when the county decided to relocate all legal proceedings to the Courthouse in St. Catharines. The new courthouse laid empty, jobs were
Niagara’s History Unveiled: Exploring the history and people of 244 King St.
As Niagara-on-the-Lake rebuilt after the destruction it suffered during the burning in December of 1813, more land was surveyed to accommodate the influx of new residents. The military, always wary of another invasion
Niagara’s History Unveiled: The train of NOTL
Imagine hearing a bell ringing in the distance, but it isn’t from a bell tower. Imagine hearing a strange whistle way off across the fields, and then feeling a rumble under your feet
Niagara’s History Unveiled: The woman behind Canada’s first purpose-built museum
The Niagara Historical Society was founded in December of 1895, by a very formidable woman named Janet Carnochan. Born in Stamford, Ontario in 1839, Carnochan moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake when she was hired to teach at
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