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Dundurn Castle

Our Experience :: History

Location: 610 York Boulevard, Hamilton, Ontario
Date: September 2005
Members: Brenda, Rachel, Jay and Mike

History

The Crown originally owned the land, which Dundurn Castle was built. The property rights were transferred to Colonel Richard Beasley (1761-1842) in 1799, when he settled there with his wife. Beasley, who was a merchant, owned the property for thirty-three years. During that time, he built the first home on the property. In 1812, British and Canadian soldiers because of the proximity of the war forced Beasley out of his home. The Americans had annexed a portion of the Dominion and were proceeding towards Hamilton. At this time, British and Canadian soldiers constructed a stone and earth breast works on the west section of the property, which over looked the bay in order to defend against an imminent American invasion. Fortunately, the Canadian, British and Native forces ended the invasion in the Battle of Stoney Creek. After the war, Beasley returned to his home. A few years later, in 1832, Beasley sold the property to John Solomon Cartwright, who was his cousin and trading partner. A short time later, the property was sold to Allan MacNab for 2,000 pounds.

Sir Allan Napier MacNab was born in February 1798, in Niagara. He was the third of seven children born to Allan MacNab and Anne Napier. When Sir Allan MacNab was sixteen, he was declared a "boy hero" for his military involvement during the War of 1812.

At age twenty-three, he married his first wife, Elizabeth Brooke. They had a son named Robert Allan MacNab, who was born on January 28, 1823. However, MacNab's good fortune came to an abrupt halt as his wife, Elizabeth died on November 5, 1826 and subsequently his mother died two years later from a lingering illness.

In 1829, a newspaper editor was imprisoned in New York due to a libel suit. MacNab was subpoena to testify but refused to obey the court, and was subsequently jailed for contempt of court. It has been suggested that this incident influenced his decision to enter law school.

During this time period, MacNab met his second wife, Mary Stuart. One year after they were married, their first child Sophia Mary was born. On Friday, May 25, 1834, two months before the birth of their second child, Mary Stuart, MacNab's son died in a tragic hunting accident. He was buried on the Dundurn Castle grounds.

Once MacNab acquired the property in 1832, he dismantled the barns and farm house, and began construction on his new home. He hired architect, Robert Charles Wetherell to plan the construction of the house and the landscape of the property. The mansion was to be modelled and named after his family home at the head of Loch Hearn, Perthshire, Scotland. He called the mansion Dundurn Castle which means fort on the water.

The landscape changed as the ploughed fields were levelled and replaced with green grass. Trees were planted and a driveway was constructed. He also built the Battery cottage(lodge) and a stone archway which marked the entrance to the grounds. During the mid 1800's MacNab petitioned to have the road between the house and the lodge relocated to the other side through the creation of York Street.

Residents watched the progress of construction with a keen eye and it became a topic of local discussion. In 1835, the house was finally completed and it was estimated to have cost $175,000 to build. The house had seventy-two rooms which were lavishly decorated. The house was also appointed with the newest in technology which included the Ablutions Room which was equipped with running water and gas lighting. A "Dumb Waiter" was also installed and brought meals up from the kitchen to the butler's pantry. The house was lavishly decorated with oak panelling, and grand chandeliers. According to local newspaper reports the house was built with "...every convenience to luxurious life that ingenuity could devise."

Dundurn Castle hosted lavish parties and meetings which attracted many influential people from Canada and Britain. In fact, in 1860, MacNab entertained the Prince of Wales. One year later, MacNab was knighted for his services during the 1837 rebellion and his work in connection with the government. It was in the same year, that he was appointed a Queen's Council. He would also become the president of the Great Western Railway in 1845. MacNab's political career flourished as he was elected as the Tory Party leader which was the opposition party at the time. He helped bring forward a bill that would compensate people whose property had been damaged or destroyed during the Lower Canada Rebellion. One of MacNab's greatest visible achievements was the construction of Dundurn Castle.

Even though MacNab enjoyed a lavish lifestyle and a successful career, he suffered immensely from bouts with gout. MacNab continued to attend parliament, however he had to be assisted by two men. Eventually, Sir. Allan MacNab died on August 8, 1862. There was a lot of controversy with regard to MacNab's funeral. MacNab was an active Protestant, and yet his family said MacNab converted to Catholicism on his deathbed. Due to the confusion of his religion, his funeral was poorly attended. He was buried in the family plot on the grounds of Dundurn Castle, but was later removed to an unmarked grave, in Holy Sepulchre cemetery on the outskirts of Hamilton in 1909. A monument was subequently raised to mark the spot.

After MacNab's death in 1862, the mansion was sold to pay off the enormous debts MacNab had accumulated. The city declined to purchase the building for $17,500 and it was left deserted. For the next four years, the mansion and the contents were neglected and deteriorated. The Provincial Government of Ontario bought the estate to establish the Upper Canada Institute for the Deaf and the Dumb. The Institute rented the facility for $600 annually, and had sixty-five students in its first class. In 1871, the Province sold the mansion to three men on behalf of an American woman for $20,000. The mansion was quickly resold in the same year to Donald MacInnes. However, MacInnes put the mansion up for sale a few years later.

MacInnes approached the city about purchasing the property, but they declined. In the meantime, the Castle was used for meetings, entertainment, and even theatrical productions. During the late 1890's, MacInnes approached the city again, however, this time he met with a more favourable response. Essentially, the city was willing to purchase the property if the citizens of Hamilton would approve it in a bylaw vote. The agreement clearly stated that the purchase price would be $50,000 which would be paid over a thirty-year span. The principal and interest would be paid in annual instalments of $2,718.57. On Thursday, September 8, 1899 the citizens of Hamilton voted in favour of the city purchasing the building. The number of votes for the proposal were 2016, the number against the proposal were 914. The majority won by almost 70 percent.

Once the city retained ownership, a decision had to be made in regards to what should be done with the building. The grounds were opened to the public on May 24, 1900 as a public park. Subsequently, a museum room was approved to open in Dundurn castle and the first curator was Mrs. Clementina Fessenden. She appealed to the public to donate any items that would have historical interest and the public's response was overwhelming. Among the many things that were donated and displayed in the museum were corals, crabs and other crustaceans from the Smithsonian Institute, stuffed birds, minerals, fossils, historic photos, pioneer objects, antiques, military objects, coins, native artifacts and a two headed calf.

In 1900, the museum opened in the Castle drawing room. So many people gave donations, and the collection grew so quickly, that it soon took over several other rooms in the Castle. During the Depression in the 1930's, the museum experienced many financial problems, and closed for approximately three years. Only a private donation from Stanley Mills reopened the doors of the Castle as an official museum on October 18, 1937. The admission cost was ten cents for adults and five cents for children. Attendance records reported five hundred visitors on holidays. The interest in the Castle continued and by 1953, approximately 25,000 visitors toured the Castle annually. It was noted that half of all these tourists were from the United States. The increase of visitors to the Castle prompted the December 1954 proposal to add a wing the Castle to accommodate other items in the museum's collection, which was later turned down.

The Castle did not have any security systems installed until the 1960's and as a result, it was a frequent target of vandalism. On May 24, 1949, a group of boys broke into the Castle and set fire to a wing of the house. The kitchen and refreshment booth in the old recreation hall were burned and the damages were estimated at $5,000. As a result of this incident, the Hamilton Fire Department insisted the Castle install new fire extinguishers and a six inch water main with hydrants that cost $3,000. The Castle was ageing and cracks in the plaster were beginning to appear, so the Hamilton Fire Department also insisted the holes in the plaster be filled to prevent the spreading of any future fires.

By the late 1950's, it was evident the Castle required major renovations. The heating for the Castle was inadequate and even Ivor Wynne, who was a member of the Parks Board at the time, stated it was so cold in the castle that it was destroying precious artifacts in the museum. He urged the city to explore ways in which to fund the repairs estimated at $167,000. One of the most viable solutions was to renovate the Castle in connection with the Canada's Centennial celebrations in 1967. The city retained Anthony Adamson, an architect, as a consultant for the Centennial project. He was responsible for assessing the condition of the Castle and the repairs that would be required. Adamson believed that the renovation of Dundurn Castle would make the it one of the great North American restorations. However, a sufficient amount of money would have to be raised.

He estimated the cost for renovations to be approximately $465,000. One third would come from the city in the form of taxes, another third would be generated through private donations and Provincial government aid and the last third would be received through Federal government grants. In the summer of 1964, the City of Hamilton requested the funding from both the Provincial and Federal governments. By 1965, all funding sources had been approved and construction at the Castle began.

One year before the restoration project began, extensive research was done on the house to ensure it would be restored to its original condition. Structural tests were done on the house and all of the museum's artifacts were placed in storage. A temporary heating system was installed to ensure construction could continue through the winter. The renovations included the mending and painting of the balconies and the exterior walls. The improvements also included a new 1,000 person amphitheatre. The most controversial proposal was the dismantling of the south entrance pillared portico. Adamson stated it was "...plain ugly..." and would have to go. The citizens of Hamilton began to speak out against the proposed change, some supporting Adamson and some attacking his plan. Adamson defended his position by stating the Castle would look better and that he did not believe the portico was there when MacNab lived in the home. A debate then arose about the origin of the portico. Some historians felt that the portico was built in the 1860's to commemorate the visit of the Prince of Wales, while others believed it was built just prior to the marriage of his daughter, Sophia in 1855. The Centennial Committee, under William McCulloch decided to keep the portico and pillars, especially since a painting from 1854 illustrated the pillared portico had been there when MacNab inhabited the house.

In 1966, the Hamilton Spectator graciously donated another $30,000 to restore the "mystery building" on the east portion of the property. The building was thought to be a change room, bathing room, and a boat house among other things. However, many historians now believe it was a cock pit. The Hamilton Spectator donated the money to develop the building into an open theatre. Near the completion of the project, the Centennial Committee announced it was in the red by $115,000. In a surprising move, the City of Hamilton agreed to pay off the remaining debts.

It was during this time that Adamson resigned as the project consultant over the complaints of mismanagement of funds. In his letter of resignation, he stated the restoration project itself was not to blame for the increased cost, but rather such things as the "Sound and Light" exhibition which cost $65,000 were the reason they were over budget. The "Sound and Light" exhibitions were to begin on June 25, 1965 under Legendrama Productions Ltd. The entire production would require six hundred lights, thirty speakers and the voices of twenty-three Canadian actors, who would portray a day in the life of Sir Allan MacNab and relive Sophia's wedding on November 15, 1855.

It was also noted that the Dundurn Castle bell which dated to 1836 had disappeared. It was revealed that Mrs. David Archibald MacNab, Sir Allan MacNab's sister-in-law, had donated the bell to the Sisters Convent on 204 Park Street, shortly after his death. The convent had relocated in 1951 to St. Joseph's Convent near Highway 6 taking the bell with them. As one of three special Centennial projects, 1,467 students from Barton Secondary School collected donations to buy a similar bell from an old Taro schoolhouse twelve miles from Owen Sound. They hoped to trade it with the Sisters for the real Dundurn bell. However, as this was not possible, they donated the Taro bell to Dundurn in April 1967. Students at Ainslie Wood and Albion vocational schools built a turret to hold it in June 1973. The bell was finally hung at the Castle in May 1977.

Once most of the renovations had been completed invitations for the reopening of the Castle were sent out to dignitaries and public officials. Governor General Roland Michener, Prime Minister Lester Pearson, and Premier John Roberts were only some of the respected guests. The most notable invitee was Sir Allan MacNab's great-grandson, Lord Albemarle. Even though it rained on the day of the official reopening of the museum, over 3,000 people attended the historic occasion. The "Sound and Lights' exhibitions were also maintaining large audiences. It was reported that approximately two hundred people attended each show, with some nights attendance reaching over three hundred people.

The museum was a success with approximately 5,200 visitors in the first six days and later the Castle averaged approximately 1,000 people per day. The demand was so great that regular hours were extended into the evening. In 1968, the MacNab Arms Restaurant was opened and served everything from Coq au Vin, to soups and desserts.

Since 1949, there have been only three other small fires in the Castle. On October 10, 1971, the chimney caught fire during a demonstration of roasting chickens. Hamilton fire fighters managed to put out the grease fire without any damage to the building. To improve the Castle's protection, a new fire alarm system was installed nine months after this incident. A second fire occurred on July 28, 1980. A vandal broke a window to the library on the east side, first floor of the house and set fire to the curtains. The new fire alarm system allowed the fire fighters to respond more quickly and the damages to the building were only $200. On February 12, 1988 another fire involving a demonstration of chicken roasting occurred with minimal damage.

By 1964, renovations were desperately needed and the museum subsequently closed for repairs. The museum reopened three years later.

Since 1991, John Triggs, Director of Archaeology at Dundurn has led several digs in the Burlington Heights area of Dundurn Park with the help of McMaster University archaeology students. In 1993, the Ontario Heritage Foundation helped to fund some of these digs with a two year grant for archaeology research into the military features of the area. Some of the more important finds include Richard Beasley's summer kitchen in the formal gardens on the north side of the Castle, Richard Beasley's log cabin under the Cockpit Theatre, a grandstand and baseball diamond, approximately 4,500 objects including military buttons, nails window glass, bullets, and Native American arrowheads in the two different earthworks in the first line of defence.

The Castle has played host to movie companies and international organisations. In 1986, the Castle allowed Disney to produce a television movie, The Liberators. As well, the G7 Environmental Conference dinner was held in Dundurn Castle's formal dining room, even though there were many objections, since a City by-law prohibited food and drinks in the museum.

More recent renovations began in 1993. The first phase was initiated with a $1.7 million grant from the City. This project restored the exterior stuccoed walls and opened windows and doors that had been stuccoed over. More renovations were undertaken in 1994, when Solicitor General David Christopherson announced the Provincial government had approved a $900,000 grant as part of the Jobs Ontario community action funding which would cover the second phase of renovations.

Since Dundurn Castle was officially opened as a museum, it has continued to be a source of pride for Hamilton. Though the costs for its maintenance have been expensive at times, it is an significant link to the cultural and historical past of Hamilton-Wentworth.

History came from: Dundurn Castle, Hamilton, Ontario

Visitors Information: please click Dundurn's Castle