Amherstburg

Amherstburg, Ont, incorporated as a town in 1878, population 21 556 (2011c), 21 748 (2006c). The Town of Amherstburg is located on Detroit River near Lake Erie. First settled 1784, it became the new base for the British after they evacuated Detroit. In 1796, Fort Amherstburg was established, and LOYALIST refugees laid out a townsite (Malden). General BROCK used the fort as a base to capture Detroit (1812), but it was under American occupation from 1813 to 1815. In 1837-38, the fort was attacked 4 times by rebel supporters of William Lyon MACKENZIE and was bombarded by the schooner Anne, which later ran aground and was captured. The British garrison remained until 1851. By the late 1830s, the fort and the town were known by each other's names, FORT MALDEN and Amherstburg.

Today, secondary industries in the town include chemical and plastic manufacturing, and whiskey distilling. At Fort Malden National Historic Site (designated in 1921), original earthworks, stone buildings and a blockhouse have been restored. Christ Church and Belle Vue, a beautiful Georgian mansion, were both completed in 1819.

Another national historic site (designated in 1999), the fieldstone Nazrey African Methodist Episcopal Church (1848), is the centerpiece of the North American Black Historical Museum. The museum tells the story of Amherstburg's role as a terminus of the UNDERGROUND RAILROAD and the town's black heritage. A community museum is housed in Park House, built in the 1790s in Detroit and moved from that community after it was ceded to the United States.

Author JAMES MARSH

Suggested Reading
R. Alan Douglas, Uppermost Canada: the Western District and the Detroit Frontier, 1800-1850 (2001).

Links to Other Sites
Historica-Dominion Institute
The website for the Historica-Dominion Institute, parent organization of The Canadian Encyclopedia and the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada. Check out their extensive online feature about the War of 1812, the "Heritage Minutes" video collection, and many other interactive resources concerning Canadian history, culture, and heritage.

Windsor (Ont)
The website for the City of Windsor, Ontario. Features virtual walking tours of historic attractions.

War of 1812 in the Western District
An extensive website about the many border conflicts in the western Ontario region during the War of 1812. Check out the video clips and other special features. From the Windsor Public Library and partners.

Fort Malden National Historic Site
This Parks Canada website is dedicated to the Fort Malden National Historic Site in Ontario.

Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse National Historic Site of Canada
This 1837 round stone light tower was built to aid Detroit River navigation and was involved in military conflicts of 1837-1838. A Parks Canada website.

Amherstburg
The official site for the Town of Amherstburg, situated along the Detroit River. Offers a visitors guide to local attractions.

North American Black Historical Museum
The website for the North American Black Historical Museum in Amherstburg, Ontario, a vital link of the legendary Underground Railroad.

Amherstburg Navy Yard National Historic Site of Canada
This site offers a description of the Amherstburg Navy Yard National Historic Site of Canada. From the “Canada’s Historic Places” website.

1812 ALIVE
A visitor's guide to Amherstburg's War of 1812 bicentennial celebrations. Features a map depicting locations of key conficts, an illustrated history of the war, and a schedule of local events during 2012.