Queenston

Queenston, Ont, is a small, quiet residential community in the town of NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE. Queenston was founded by Robert HAMILTON in the late 1780s at the north end of the Niagara Portage, a road used to transport freight and passengers around the rapids and falls of the NIAGARA RIVER. The community may have been named for the Queen's Rangers, a colonial regiment that built barracks here in 1792. It prospered on trade, and a ferry crossing to Lewiston was an important transportation link between UPPER CANADA and New York State. Queenston was merged into the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1970.

The house of Laura SECORD, the most famous heroine of the WAR OF 1812, has been restored as an operating historic site by the Niagara Parks Commission, and the one-time home of William Lyon MACKENZIE has become a printing museum. The Willowbank National Historic Site houses a unique school of restoration arts where students learn the skills required for building restoration. Nearby, the RiverBrink Art Museum curates a stunning and significant collection of early Canadian art. BROCK'S MONUMENT, overlooking the village, was dedicated in 1824 as the tomb of Sir Isaac BROCK, whose troops defeated American invaders at the BATTLE OF QUEENSTON HEIGHTS (13 October 1812). This first monument was heavily damaged by an Irish-Canadian terrorist in 1840 and was replaced in 1853-56 by the present monument. The bodies of Brock and his aide-de-camp, John MACDONELL, are interred in a crypt beneath the current structure.

Queenston still maintains its historic character. Plans to add considerable residential development to the west side of Queenston have so far been successfully opposed by the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake and area residents.

See also NIAGARA HISTORIC FRONTIER.

Author RONALD J. DALE

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.

Niagara-on-the-Lake
The website for the historic Ontario Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Check out the section "Visiting Our Community" for notes about the town's top tourist attractions.

Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum
This fine museum, located in the former home of William Lyon Mackenzie, features a collection of working heritage presses and exhibits about the history of printing.

Niagara Parks
Check out the seasonal attractions and events offered throughout the Niagara River corridor from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. From the Niagara Parks Commission.

A Century of Sail and Steam on the Niagara River
Explore 400 years of sailing history in the Niagara River and Lake Ontario region. Peruse original illustrations and rare photographs and the full text of this 1913 publication. From the “Maritime History of the Great Lakes” website.

Queenston Heights National Historic Site of Canada
Parks Canada visitor's information guide for Queenston Heights National Historic Site of Canada.

Niagara Parks: Commemorative Plaques & Markers
See the text of individual plaques and markers commemorating the War of 1812 found throughout the grounds of Niagara Parks in Ontario. Also, check this site for more information about specific park locations and events.

RiverBrink Art Museum
The website for the RiverBrink Art Museum, located in the historic village of Queenston, within the picturesque town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The museum produces exhibitions featuring artworks from their Samuel E. Weir collection and other Canadian and international museums. Click on "Collections" to view images of featured artifacts.