Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Downtown St. Catharines history is reflected in many of it’s buildings. Our city takes pride in not only recognizing those buildings, but revitalizing them for modern uses, take the recent redevelopment of the Canada Hair Cloth building into the Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, for instance.
There are two areas within downtown where many of the properties are designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, this includes the Queen Street and area heritage district and the Yates Street and area heritage district. Throughout these two heritage areas are many historical buildings with incredible architecture. Read on for a highlight of five historic buildings within the downtown.
Note * Churches have not been included in this post. *Historical photos are sourced from the Niagara Falls Public Library collection.
The Former Lincoln County Court House
Address: 85-87 King Street
Built-in: 1849 & Phase 2 1862
Architect: Kivas Tully
Influences: Ontario Georgian/the town hall in Perugia, Italy
History: The building is constructed out of Queenston ashlars and coarse rubble limestone and brick. The front face of the structure includes a tower with a clock and octagonal cupola. Phase one of construction of the building saw the accommodation of town council offices, a market and the police/fire station.
Phase two saw the construction of a northeast wing in 1865. During this phase the county office and courthouse were relocated.
Current use: Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre
Mill Memorial Home
Address: 183 King St.
Built-in: 1868
Architect: S.G. Dolson
Influences: Italiante
Current use: YWCA of St. Catharines
History: The two story building was the home of James Mills and features a large veranda with wooden columns, a tower in the front with decorative roof line and a unique oval window set along the roof line.
William Hamilton Merritt Home or Oak Hill
Address: 12 Yates St.
Built-in: 1860
Influences: Italiante
Current use: Bell Media radio station home to 105.7 Easy Rock, 97.7 Hitz FM and 610 CKTB
History: William Hamilton Merrit had the building constructed as his home, he died two years later in 1862 and his son took up residence in the building. Features include a hipped roof, rounded windows, a bracketed eves line. The original building was brick, but is now finished with stucco.
Grantham Academy
Address: 85 Church Street
Built-in: 1829
Architect: William Bryson Allan.
Influences: Italiante
Current use: Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre
History: The Grantham Academy opened in 1929, it was the first high school in Niagara and was Upper Canada’s second non-denominational secondary school. The original brick build was two storey's and featured a centred clock tower.
The school became known as St. Catharines Collegiate Institute in 1845 and was relocated after World War 1 to the current Catherine St. parcel. After Collegiates departure the school became the W.J. Robertson School and operated until 1977. The Folk Arts took over in 1985.
Town Hall
Address: 50 Church St.
Built-in: 1937
Architect: Robert MacBeth
Influences: colonial/modern
Current use: St. Catharines City Hall
History: The building was built with an art deco facade and a “bowling green lawn” with intentions to be the an architectural focal point within the downtown core. The two storey structure was constructed using Queenston limestone and features three distinctive architectural elements; fully glazed brass doors, three-storey high front glass windows, exterior decorative panels below the roof lines. The building at the time was a symbol of electricity, power and justice.
Leave your choices for the top historical buildings in downtown St. Catharines in the comments below.
