Artifact of the Week: Wall Sconce (969.29)

Clue: I attach to the wall and make a room bright with light.

Answer:

Last week’s artifact was a wall sconce dating to ca. 1810 that belonged to St. Mark’s Anglican Church. It’s main purpose was to reflect light without scorching the walls of the building. Aside from the powder magazine in Fort George, this church is the one of the few structures in the historic town of Niagara (Niagara-on-the-Lake) that predates the War of 1812. As the church walls were constructed out of sandstone taken from the cliffs along the upper Niagara River, it did not burn with the rest of the village when the Americans retreated in December 1813. The church was fully renovated from the destruction of war in 1827 and it was consecrated. This sconce remained in St. Mark’s until 1843.