This grand, two-storey estate overlooking the Niagara River is an important and rare example of a Classic (Greek) Revival house in a picturesque setting in Ontario. The original 2,500-square-foot home was designed by John Latshaw in 1832 and was built for John Hamilton, a prominent boatbuilder and member of the Upper Canada Legislative Assembly. Hamilton didn’t live in this house long, but instead used it as a summer home for his family.

Over the years, several prominent community members have owned the property, including William A. Thomson, the president of the Erie and Niagara Railway, and John D. Larkin, owner of the Larkin Soap Company in Buffalo.

The estate also has several outbuildings including a stone schoolhouse, constructed in the 1830s for Hamilton’s estate workers. Larkin played host to friend and architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, which spurred many rumours of Wright’s involvement in any renovations or additions to this property. However, to this day these are just rumours.

The NOTL Museum’s new exhibition “Our Prettiest Homes: Beyond the Bricks and Mortar” has now opened to the public. Come and learn a bit more about some of our heritage homes and the families who lived in them.