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Niagara Falls
Thursday, November 7, 2024
Exploring History: October 1813
A home in former Town of Niagara, today Old Town, called Government House. Pictured here in a painting by Elizabeth Simcoe, it was built in 1793-94. NOTL MUSEUM PHOTO
As mentioned in last week’s post, following Maj.-Gen. Sir Isaac Brock’s death at a Queenston home, his body was later taken back to the Town of Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Old Town) where he lay in state at the Government House. The home, pictured here in a painting by Elizabeth Simcoe, was built in 1793-94 and was the home of David W. Smith, the provincial surveyor general. In 1798 the house, located on the full block bounded by King, Queen, Regent and Johnson streets, was purchased from Smith as quarters for the commanding officer at Fort George. Smith was heading to the new capital of Upper Canada, York (today, Toronto). Brock would have lived here during the War of 1812 and on Oct. 13, 1813, upon hearing the cannon fire of Fort Niagara, would have rushed through its doors to Queenston Heights. After the battle, Brock, and his aide-de-camp, John Macdonell, laid in state at the home until their burial service on Oct. 16, 1812.  Brock was honoured with a prominent funeral procession and was buried in one of the bastions at Fort George. He was later moved to Queenston Heights where the first monument was established. The Americans at Fort Niagara fired a cannon salute and blank charges to honour Brock and Macdonell.

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