The City of Niagara Falls CANADA
Is Proud to Present

A Heritage Tour of Our First Community

The Village of Drummondville
Founded in 1831, Drummondville was Stamford Township’s first community, named after Sir Gordon Drummond, who led the British forces at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane here on July 25, 1814. The town grew steadily during the 19th century, centered around Drummond Hill and the intersection of Lundy’s Lane and Portage Road.  Our walking tour begins near this historic cross roads at Lundy’s Lane Historical Museum. From here many of the old town’s historic homes and public buildings can still be seen within a short distance of each other.

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1.     Lundy’s Lane Historical Museum/Stamford Township Hall    1874
5810 Ferry Street

The design of this fine building is attributed to John Latshaw, a prominent local architect. Built of limestone in the Italianate style, it is characterized by ornate brackets and round headed windows. Each floor has received a different decorative window treatment common to the Italian Renaissance.  In the centre of the second floor and in the gable are variations of the tripartite Florentine window. This impressive municipal building not only provided rooms for  council meetings and offices, but its large auditorium and stage was perfect for many local events such as concerts, galas and religious meetings.
 

The Biggars were an early Drummondville family who settled in Stamford in the 1780's. Marsena Biggar (1822-1903), a teacher in Drummondville purchased an irregular shaped lot of  just over 2 acres in 1871. The family home was built soon after. The two storied verandah leads one to think that this was a hotel at one time. The small arched window in the gable and the ornate brackets around the verandah hint at the  building’s Victorian origins. This property is of special interest as it still retains its original carriage house.
 

This house reflects  Classical  design elements popular in the first quarter of the 20th century, such as Doric columns and dentil trim. The scale of the house is based on harmonic proportions of 1:2 and 2:3 considered by the ancient Greeks and Romans to be ideal dimensions. This house boasts leaded glass transoms in the windows. Herman Newton Misener lived here until 1997. His great grand father Captain John Misener was a carriage maker with a house and shop on the corner of Main and Peer.
 

John Misener purchased this lot in 1855 from his father Captain John Misener. John Misener, assumed the carriage business after the elder’s death in 1860.  The pretty clapboard house  is a fine example of the Gothic Revival Style, popular for residential buildings from the 1850's to the 1870's. It features an “Ontario Gothic” style central gable in the roof. The gable window design with a pediment is an adaptation from the Italianate form. The upper portion of the verandah  features elaborate woodwork with turned posts; the stone portion is a later modification.
 

The BME church, is  one of the oldest buildings in Drummondville. It is said to have been built in 1836, at the corner of Murray Street and Allendale Avenue. It was  moved to its present location on land given by Oliver Parnell and his wife Matilda both of whom had escaped from slavery in the United States. For many who followed the Underground Railroad to Canada and settled in Niagara Falls, the British Methodist Episcopal Church, was the spiritual, social and educational centre of their community. The Church is a simple Gothic Revival style structure, characterized by the pointed lancet windows. The current windows with coloured glass panes were installed early in this century.
 

The Underground Railroad consisted  of a series of safe houses known as “stations” and individuals known as “conductors” who assisted those escaping from slavery in the United States.  Many fugitive slaves who managed to reach Canada settled in Drummondville, and many went on to achieve a great deal of success. Burr Plato who was born into slavery in 1833 in Logan County, Virginia, escaped and settled here in 1856. He went on to become a prominent business man, respected citizen and elected council member.
Oliver Parnell escaped slavery in 1855. Through thrift and hard work, he was able to purchase a substantial amount of land in Drummondville including seven lots on the south side of Peer Street. His own house at 6071 Stanley Avenue is still standing today. Oliver Parnell worked for John A. Orchard and his nephew Joseph Cadham at their home on Culp Street. In the picture Margaret Cadham is wearing overalls that  were specially made for her  so she could look like her friend Oliver, “ a soft-spoken, wonderfully kind man”.
 

This section of the village west to Main Street was part of the Alanson Ross estate. Alanson Ross was a carriage maker whose residence “Rossleigh” can still be seen on Main Street. His estate was divided into building lots in 1885. This home draws inspiration from the Queen Anne Revival style as well as borrowing features from other periods. These include turned posts and bracketed  shelf window treatment with hood and transom. Beneath the stucco is probably the original clapboard siding. The roof  includes both hip and gable forms. Peter Heximer purchased the lot for $200 and built this house. In later years he worked for the American Cyanimid Company.
 

The architect for All Saints Church was William Hay, a notable designer of many churches in Toronto. Hay was an architect of romantic leanings who incorporated Gothic features into his buildings. Here we see elements of an English rural, parish church, with a massive square tower and narrow Gothic (lancet) arch windows. The builder was William Russell a local contractor who also owned and operated a brewery in Drummondville. The Church was built during the ministry of the first Anglican Rector, the Reverend W. Leeming; however, it was his curate, the Reverend Charles Leycester  Ingles, who oversaw the construction. The Reverend Ingles was married to Jemima Ingles the daughter of Lieutenent-General Murray and Mrs. Murray who donated the land for All Saints Church.
 

This substantial home was built in a late Queen Anne Revival Style. It has an asymmetrical form with a complex roof, where the bay window of the second floor extends to form a third floor tower. The wrap around porch features columns and a pediment with intricate scroll work. The house was used as an income rental property by Mrs Ferguson (widow) who built the house. In 1926 it was purchased by Albert W. Marsh, general manager of Canadian Wineries Ltd.
 

Built by the local congregation to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of the Ukranian people’s conversion to Christianity,  the church follows  traditional forms of Ukranian Church architecture. It incorporates a central dome over a four-armed cruciform pattern. There are no windows on the lower levels as the early churches were also used as sanctuaries for the villagers when they were attacked by marauding Mongol tribes. The smaller windows higher up were used by archers for defense. Saint Mary’s was built using massive logs of white pine from northern Ontario.