Niagara Falls Ontario is located along the Niagara Gorge on the western bank of the Niagara River
which flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
In
1853 construction began to build an international suspension bridge over the
Niagara Gorge. This brought work and prosperity to the north end of Stamford
Township. A shanty-town development was erected to house workers at the base of
the bridge. Over the years this became the Village of Elgin. Amalgamation of
the Village of Elgin with the Town of Clifton was caused by the economic impact
of the Great Western, Erie and Ontario Railways. The prosperous town boasted
fifteen grocery stores and twenty saloons and hotels.
Samuel
Zimmerman, one of the founding fathers of the city, came from Pennsylvania in
1842 with lots of ambition, and some knowledge of construction. He rebuilt
parts of the Welland Canal. Recognizing the importance of railroads, Zimmerman
began building railway lines including the Great Western (now Canadian
National) from Hamilton. Zimmerman’s company played a role in building the
Railway Suspension Bridge across the Niagara River Gorge.
During
Zimmerman’s lifetime, there were four small communities within what is now
Niagara Falls: Chippawa to the south, Clifton, Drummondville, and Stamford
Village in the north.
The
majority of the early downtown businesses were located on the lower part of
Bridge Street, Erie Avenue and River Road, with a few businesses on Clifton
Avenue (now Zimmerman) and Park Street. At the turn of the century, retail
activity slowly started to shift to Queen Street where to date some of these
firms are still operating. The residences of Queen Street have given way to
stores and offices that form the Downtown core we see today.
6590 Dunn Street – Stamford Township Lot 161 was first obtained from the Crown by Haggai Skinner who likely built the earlier cabin. It was Henry Spence’s farm from 1854 to 1885. Mr. Spence came from England in 1834 and was noted for his fine brickwork. In 1893, the house and property were purchased by David Weaver and remained in the Weaver family until 1973. The larger front section of the house was constructed by Drummondville Mason Henry Spence, while the rear wood frame wing was originally a settler’s cabin dating to around 1800. An old brick scullery is also attached to the west side of the cabin and has remnants of an original cauldron and bread oven. A board-and-batten garage was added to the rear by the current owners.4267 Bridge Street – Via Rail Station – Positioned beside the International Railway Bridge, this was the busiest and most prestigious terminal of the Great Western and Grand Trunk Railroads. It serviced the growing tourist trade, and was a popular social center with a restaurant in the east wing. Constructed in the Gothic Revival style favored for rail depots of the Victorian age, it has a hipped gable roof, decorative brick banding and limestone door and window accents. Originally installed in the gable ends were carved barge boards.4310 Queen Street – City Hall – 1866 – For years there was a small balcony over the front entrance and orators spoke to the crowds gathered below. It served as City Hall for Niagara Falls until the new building opened in May 1970.4337 Simcoe Street – multi-sloped roofs, Romanesque style window arches on ground floor, enclosed sun porch above veranda, decorative cornice and brackets, fish scale patterning on chipped gablesZimmerman Avenue – Bank – Mansard roof with dormers, quoining around windows and doors, two-storey oriel windows with stepped parapets4711 Zimmerman Avenue – 1896 – The house served as both the home and office of Dr. James McGarry, and later that of his son, pediatrician Dr. Howard McGarry. Between them, the house was the center of medical care for families in Niagara Falls over the course of nearly ninety years. The home has a corner tower, pressed brick and limestone exterior, and irregular roof line. The large Neo-Classical front porch has rounded columns, frieze and a decorated closed pediment. A surgery was added to the rear of the house in 1905.4761 Zimmerman Avenue – Bampfield Hall – James Bampfield built this second home for his wife Margaret who apparently never liked their first house. For generations it remained the property of the Bampfields as they rose to become one of the most prominent commercial families in Niagara Falls. The house is built primarily in the Gothic Revival style with pointed windows, a jerkinhead roof, and gingerbread trim in the gable ends. Its upper structure exhibits the Second Empire style elements of a mansard roof on the central tower and iron cresting on the roof. The Classical style verandah was a later early 20th century addition.4835 Zimmerman Avenue – Bedham Hall Bed and Breakfast – located on Niagara River two miles from Whirlpool Bridge4268 Morrison Street – two-storey bay window, hipped roof4851 River Road – Doran House – 1886 – Park Place Bed and Breakfast – W.L. Doran and his brother owned the Dominion Suspender Company and Niagara Necktie Factories in town. The house served as an unofficial social club and was the scene of both formal balls and many a wild party. It is in the Queen Anne Revival style. Built of fine cream-colored brick, it has a round corner tower with a conical roof, gable windows of various shapes and a curved verandah with a molded frieze supported by slender columns. To the rear of the house is the original detached coach house.4325 Bampfield Street – Built by local lumber merchant John Merrall, this was the first home of the Bampfield family on their arrival in Clifton in 1860. James Bampfield operated the Great Western Restaurant in the east wing of the railroad station. The house was also reputedly used as a brothel for many years earlier in this century. The house is a unique variant of the Regency Style with a perfectly square plan, tall limestone block walls and a high raised basement. The basement was dynamited out of the underlying bedrock and built in the earth and rubble technique without mortar. The attached rear porch shed and roof dormers are later additions.
