Dear editor:

We at Willowbank were shocked and horrified to learn of the historically designated Glencairn’s sudden, disastrous fire.

Glencairn was built by John Latshaw for John Hamilton in 1832. Latshaw was a master carpenter who became a leading architect of Upper Canada.

John Hamilton was the youngest step-brother of Alexander Hamilton. The four brothers, three step-brothers and one step-sister inherited their father’s — Robert Hamilton Sr. — vast estate (land holdings) in 1823 (when John was 21).

The family mansion was disabled during the American invasion in 1812. And so, Alexander felt financially secure enough to engage Latshaw to build Willowbank in 1834.

In 2017-8, Willowbank, with the help of Parks Canada, had ducting for heating and cooling, as well as fire sprinklers, installed in our National Historic site.

I would be surprised that the Porters had not installed fire prevention equipment, as they had professionally restored Glencairn.

Elizabeth Oliver-Malone (Archives at Willowbank School of Restoration Arts)
NOTL