It’s been called many things: Four Mile Creek, Lawrenceville and the Crossroads.

Today, the community of Virgil is one of five villages that make up the tapestry of Niagara-on-the-Lake, which, like villages such as Old Town and Queenston, has a long and storied history exemplified in its heritage homes.

The early houses of Virgil are the subject of the NOTL Museum’s upcoming lecture on Aug. 15, in which writer and genealogist David Hemmings will explore heritage homes of Virgil and its occupants.

The houses to be explored date from the 1790s to the early 1900s and Hemmings will highlight some of the lesser-known residents of those homes and their accomplishments.

The lecture is part of museum’s summer lecture series, complementing its current exhibit “The Prettiest Town: Beyond the Bricks and Mortar.”

Some of the oldest homes in the village of Virgil were rebuilt in the first decade after the War of 1812, and many others were built in the late 19th century.

“Virgil is a fascinating study,” said Hemmings in a media release. “It had two distinct phases in its development, beginning with its early Loyalist settlers, like George Lawrence, arriving after the American Revolution. And then in the 1930s, the Mennonite community chose Virgil as a place of refuge, and truly boosted its vitality and population.”

Hemmings is the author of eight books and more than 50 documents on local history, with a strong focus on family origins and ancestry.

He has received the Paul Harris Fellow Award from Rotary International, and a 15-year Ontario Volunteer Service Award. He is also the past chair of the Niagara Historical Society.

Hemmings has found Virgil to be of special interest for his research.

“Virgil is a true cultural village, with no physical geographical boundaries, because of its large tracts of farmland,” he said. “And over its history, the banks of Four Mile Creek have offered a fertile place to build homes — and a very strong community.”

The lecture will be held at the museum, 43 Castlereagh St., starting at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $10, or free for museum members.

To reserve a seat, call the museum at 905-468-3912. Registration is required as space is limited.