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HISTORICPort Hope

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SELF-GUIDED WALKING TOUR

The HBIA would like to say a very special thank you to the Port Hope Archives

and Heritage Port Hope as well as the many volunteers who helped with research.

For further information about Port Hope please visit,

www.heritageporthope.com, www.porthopearchives.com, and

www.porthopehistory.com.

All photos courtesy of The Port Hope Archives unless otherwise stated.

ONTARIO’S FAVOURITE SMALL TOWN

THE STORY OF PORT HOPE

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At a time when money was scarce during the Depression, the Capitol Theatre was one of the first buildings to use steel girders and little expense was spared to construct one of Canada’s first movie houses for “talking pictures.” Opening night in 1930 featured Queen High starring Ginger Rogers in her first feature musical film. Today, the Capitol Theatre is a national historic site, the last fully restored “atmospheric” theatre in Canada and the only one of its kind left in Ontario. It resembles a medieval castle courtyard with a twilight sky and forest mural. The theatre closed in 1987 and a group of local citizens were responsible for restoring the theatre in the 1990s to its former glory. It’s now renowned for live productions and technical innovation, drawing tourists to town.

CAPITOL THEATRE14 Queen St.

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20 10,000 years ago, retreating glaciers formed the land-scape of Port Hope. The first

inhabitants called this vast area omingaming (cochingaming), the meeting place, referring to the meeting of the river and the lake. Later, the Huron named the river Ganaraske, or spawning ground. The twice yearly salmon and trout runs, as well as the abundant game provided sustenance to the First Nations who held the land collectively, while the forest offered shelter and the river transportation. Interactions between the first Europeans, mainly French fur traders in the 1680s, were sometimes cordial and sometimes hostile. The first treaties between the First Nations and the newcomers were established after the British gained control of all the North American Colonies. The first treaties gave the First Nations exclusive rights to the North Shore of Lake Ontario, leaving most of the province untouched until after the American Revolution. Fearing that the newly formed United States might try to expand northwards, the British hurriedly passed the famous Gun Treaty which allowed for settlement on the north shore of Lake Ontario. The British colonization system of the time granted huge land tracts to businessmen, who in turn set up local governments loyal to the Crown. Johnathan Walton and Elias Smith – no relation to Peter Smith an earlier petitioner for whom Smith Creek is named – were

just such entrepreneurs. In 1792, they petitioned Governor Simcoe of the First Upper Canada Council for land grants to establish the 5th Township of Hope. A year later, they brought 40 families to settle the area. The river had drawn Walton and Smith here, just as it had their First Nations predecessors. The river formed a natural port through which ships could sail and weigh anchor, and was a power source for the newly established grist and saw mills. In the immediate half-century, the area saw a population boom. While small industry continued, Port Hope’s leading source of wealth came from exporting timber, whisky and grain to the U.S. and Europe. It was during that period that many of the stately homes and buildings were constructed. By the late 19th Century, development here slowed as Toronto became an industrial centre, the Prairie Bread Basket opened to the west, and the forests were depleted of their timber. Our town continued to slowly mature. While other communities courted heavy industry, Port Hope was content with companies such as ESCO and Davidson Rubber. This fact coupled with the work of fervent champions of historical preservation has resulted in the Port Hope you see today – a place where old buildings live contemporary lives. Come join us on our walk and learn more about the town’s development, and some of its more prominent citizens.

One of Canada’s great authors and environmentalists, Farley Mowat moved to Port Hope from Newfoundland in 1967, arriving by sailboat. His books have been published in more than 60 countries and the Port Hope Public Library has first editions in its archives. This Boat Roofed House monument, built in 2006, references his book The Farfarers, the story of the seafaring people from the British Isles who sailed over a thousand years ago to Arctic Canada in fragile skin-covered boats. After a long season of hunting many over-turned their boats on a rock base for shelter during the winter before returning home across the Atlantic.

FARLEY MOWAT MONUMENT

The picturesque spot where William Leonard Hunt, The Great Farini, walked a tightrope (strung between the Waddell Hotel and the Gillett-Paterson Block) across the Ganaraska River in 1859, his first of many public daredevil acts. William Hunt was born in 1838 and grew up in rural Hope Township, channeling his athleticism into a career as a circus performer.

FARINI GARDENS

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Farley Mowat

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and civic centre on the ground floor. The building was completely gutted by fire in 1893 and Toronto architect Samuel George Curry, a native of Port Hope, was hired to oversee the rebuild. It was completed a year later with a higher clock tower and steeper roof, and the covered market space was removed. The Saturday morning farmers market now sets up

behind Town Hall from May through October. The historic bandshell was built in 1946 in memory of all our armed forces who fought since Confederation in 1867. It was constructed with plans purchased from the Canadian Bandmasters’

Association that provided “the most up-to-date scientific principles of sound technology” which makes it a memorable stage for summer concerts, theatre and festivals.

About 70% of the town population has a library card. It’s a well-used facility with extensive archives and genealogy services. The building opened in October 1913 and is one of the Carnegie libraries – free for public use – built in Ontario with Carnegie style stairs to give the impression of rising to better knowledge.

PUBLIC LIBRARY31 Queen St.

PORT HOPE

BANDSHELLMEMORIAL PARK

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FUN FACT...Andrew Carnegie required the elected officials to demonstrate the need for a public library, provide the site and draw from public funds to run the library.

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The stately hotel was built in 1857 as the Bank of Upper Canada with the upper floors serving as an apartment for bank manager. It was designed by Frederick Barlow Cumberland, responsible for the Upper Canada bank in Windsor in 1855 and Sarnia in1857. In the 19th century, travelling bankers were the rule and permanent or stationary banks were the exception. It was a compliment to Port Hope and its prosperous future for the Bank of Upper Canada to construct such a building in the town. It was purchased by Dr. Robert

A. Corbett in 1881 for his home and office. He is known for directing the building of Corbett’s Dam and powerhouse that produced the first electricity in Port Hope. He may have placed the statuesque lions at front. The building later became the Port Hope City Dairy in 1920 and then passed through several owners until 1985 when David and Jeanne Henderson did major restoration work to open the hotel and restaurant.

Port Hope was incorporated as a town in 1834 by an Act of Parliament which provided for the establishment of police and public market. The Town Hall cornerstone was laid September 9, 1851, and the building was completed two years later in 1853 at a cost of about $30,000, three times the original estimate. It housed council chambers, a courthouse on the upper floor and a market square

CARLYLEHOTEL

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From 1908 to 1940, the tax collector, police constable and maintenance man, Arthur Chesher and his family lived in an apartment on the main floor. Prominent visitors included the 1860 tour of the Prince of Wales, who became King Edward VII; Princess Louise, daughter of Queen Victoria, and husband Sir John Douglas Campbell, the Marquis of Lorne and Governor General, in 1879, and Sir John A. Macdonald in 1889.

FUN FACTS...

TOWN HALL

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In 1860, he made his first crossing over Niagara Falls on a tightrope and then travelled the globe as an acrobat. He was also the creator of the human cannonball! A botanist, painter and explorer in later years, William claimed to have found the mythic Lost City of Kalahari on his journey across the Kalahari Desert in Africa and wrote a book about the trek. He retired with his wife to Port Hope and died at age 90 in 1929. The 140th anniversary of his first public tightrope walk was reenacted in 1999, when 8,000 people watched an aerialist walk the rope just like Farini did.

The building that once stood here was perhaps one of the biggest casualties in the history of flooding in the downtown. The Old Fire Hall was built in 1871, when the ground

floor had a large portico for the fire trucks and the upper floors were used as residences and a school at one time. When the water surged over the river banks on March 21, 1980, the current hurled huge blocks of ice down the streets, wreaking havoc in the core. Ice and water took out the back walls of a row of buildings next to the Waddell Hotel. The Fire Hall was already being considered for demolition before the flood, and although a local group had worked to save the building, the cost was too prohibitive and it was taken down. The river bed was dug deeper and wider to prevent further flooding.

Earl W. Brydges Public Library, Niagara Falls.

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The Old Fire Hallduring the flood, March 21, 1980

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Floods weren’t the only natural disaster to regularly be visited upon Port Hope. In May 1980 just two months after the great flood and loss of the fire hall, there was a devastating fire. This whole block which had newly renovated was gutted by fire. The owner at the time felt his only option was to tear down the whole thing and build a one-story replacement. This is where the true wave of restoration in Port Hope began. Anita Blackwood and A.K. Sculthorpe were able to secure the provincial funding that had been set aside for the Fire Hall and set up a fund to save the Smith Block. Legend has it that the two women met with the building owner in Anita’s kitchen and told him that the building wasn’t coming down, and that was it. All that remains today of the building is the façade. Everything else behind is a new construction. Anita Blackwood and A.K. Sculthorpe were a very big part of why Port Hope looks and feels the way it does today. We owe them a great deal.

The town experienced tremendous economic expansion in the 1850s exporting timber, whiskey and grain to the U.S. and Europe. This wealth drove the purchase and development of large blocks of land downtown. Although the storefronts below are quite different, the upper floors are built in uniform blocks. Many of these buildings have been subdivided, and fires in the downtown have led to the restoration of original storefronts with the cooperation of many different owners. Fun fact: the last block of buildings on Walton Street that meets Ontario Street was built when money was waning. The third floor has no actual windows – they are fake because glass was too expensive at the time and only one or two windows were added later.

SMITH BLOCK28-32 Walton St.

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The Smith Block after the fire of 1980

first proprietor of the 1871 Queen’s Hotel, the building at the corner of Walton and John streets. This building, now a well-loved pub and restaurant, has travelled about town. It was built on Augusta Street south of John Street but too close to the railway, almost where the post office north parking lot is today, so James moved it to the southwest corner of Augusta and John streets. The land was purchased in 1985 by Port Hope Waterworks Commission, so the house was moved to its present location.

Built around 1845, the south half was built as a freestanding structure. The north half with the carriage throughway was added in the early 1850s. It was named after the Midland Railway which started in Port Hope and headed north right up to Georgian Bay. This modest inn catered to the train passengers who would come from the country and rent the room for the day to shop or see their lawyer or doctor. It was a place for them to rest between appointments and then take the train home at night. Situated close to the harbour, the inn was also frequented by many lake steamer passengers.

This grand four-acre estate was built in 1851 by Henry Howard Meredith, a prominent businessman. He ran the Port Hope Harbour and Wharf Company with his in-laws from 1829 to 1851. The manor was sold in 1859 to Henry Covert, president of the Midland Railway, and became the property of Brigadier General George H. Ralston in 1901. Each of the affluent owners added their own personal touch to the estate, which much later became an elegant B&B featured in CBC TV’s Road To Avonlea in the 1990s, and appeared on the TV show Rescue Mediums to investigate reported hauntings.

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used for displaying performance banners. The hall was bought by Royal Bank in 1912 and now houses the duct work for the building. Royal Bank recently relocated because of structural issues.

Built in about 1856 as the home and office of Dr. Charles Cameron, the residence served as a physician’s office or private hospital with various doctors up to 1947. Acclaimed author Farley Mowat purchased it in 1967 and lived there before moving to 18 King St. In recent years, the property has been an interior design store and now once again a private

residence. John Street’s tall buildings and narrow roadway give it unique character. Provincial law states that the town owns so many feet out from the centre of the road, so many of the buildings don’t actually own their front walls.

Originally Cochrane House, circa 1848, the building is a fine example of the early Greek Revival style. It’s named after James Cochrane, the

MEREDITH HOUSE25 John St.

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FUN FACTS...Port Hope’s William Leonard Hunt, The Great Farini, was among many prominent artists who performed on the opera house stage, and the 1879 burlesque show by Mlle. Fanchon Folly Troupe provoked a riot.

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BEAMISH HOUSE27 John St.

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Lent Lane was a railway track until the 1970s. The Midland train line was the second line in Port Hope and a huge investment for such a small community. After the success of the Grand Trunk Railway, this new line was considered a good venture, up and running by 1857. The Midland line went south to a railway roundhouse where the trains were turned and maintained in the former

Canadian Tire site. It ran to the north up Ontario Street and across the river to Lindsay. The Midland is one of the earliest examples of a rail trail conversion in Ontario and now forms part of the Ganaraska Hiking Trail.

Built in 1855, this block was bought by John Walker in 1865, a cabinet maker. Cabinet and furniture makers in those days were also the undertakers who made the coffins. Artist David Blackwood had his studio on the top floor, where he and Rod Stewart, a local restoration specialist, found some relics of the old funeral practice. David still uses the former embalming table in his studio at his Port Hope home.

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Walker Building - c1909

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Courtesy of The Ganaraska Hotel

One of the oldest hotels dating back to the early 1850s, “The Ganny,” now an old-style tavern, may have doubled as a ticket office for the Midland Railway and benefited from the increased traffic. Train tracks ran down Ontario Street past the hotel. The location near the river means the building withstood numerous floods over the years, and 1980 proved one of the most severe when five feet of water powered through the alley between the Quinlan Block and the hotel and washed a pickup truck right through. The truck took off part of the building across the street and then was carried out by the water into the lake. One year later a group

of locals built homemade boats and rafts and paddled down the river during the spring thaw – the first now famous Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny river race. The hotel used to host a Miss Ganny drag contest the night before the race!

This was known as the Wilson Block, originally built in the 1850s as a multi-storey building for many

HOTELTHE GANARASKA

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businesses and designed by the architect who designed the Toronto Eaton Center. William Furby and Hugh Crea, the creators of the first local newspaper, had their printing press on the upper floors. BMO was rebuilt in 1955.

The railways brought more visitors and need for accommodations. The 1853 building was designed by Merwin Austin, the architect for the Town Hall built in 1851. The lobby

was originally on the second floor with stores beneath. In the 1890s, the lobby was moved to the ground floor which opened to a grand dining room. At one time, it was also joined to the opera house so patrons wouldn’t have to go outside. In 1965, the building was damaged by fire and slated for demolition, but was bought by Peter Shultz, a relative of Alice King Sculthorpe, who restored the building, put in apartments and

worked diligently to restore the storefronts. Some are fiberglass while others are the original steel. Note the amazingly level windows at the top and how they managed to make the windows smaller on the end closest to Brewery Lane, named for a popular brewery in 1817.

This commercial block had a music hall and opera house above, opening February 28, 1871 with much fanfare and 600 of Port Hope high society. Prior to 1870, all concerts, plays and lectures were held at Town Hall. The music hall, open to the public for occasional “doors open” tours, is a modest 25x14-metre room with the stage at one end and dressing rooms at the other with two chandeliers. The large windows on the second floor are symmetrical and a smaller window on the rounded corner was

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ROYAL BANK

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St. Lawrence Block

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