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ast year, 1998, Cobourg celebrated its two hundredth anniversary of first settlement.This guide book offers you an introduction to some Cobourg scenes that cap- ture a' bit of the flavour of those early years and of the L story they convey. Cobourg's story is that of a great attempt.An attempt to create a place of significance, first for its own district, then for the province, then, with perhaps too great enthusiasm, for the whole country. It didn't work, but, paradoxically, the effort -- perhaps even the failure of that effort -- i"A left Cobourg with the precious legacy of having much of its architectural Cobourg Regiment record intact. First some history. No pioneer ever set out to found Cobourg. warehouses to spread along the newly laid-out Kingston Highway, now Even the question of who our first settler was, was decided later by an Hwy 2. As the district began to take shape around them, the new men administrative convenience. We don't know anything about Eluid noticed how close their village was to an important waterway through the t"'ickerson, really, and I'm sure he'd be as surprised as anyone to find him- still little-known territory to tI,e north of them. self a historic figure. Readers of this guide will soon find that I favour This was the old Indian canoe route through from Lake Ontario Elias Jones as the earliest hero of the many who will populate our tale. to Georgian Bay. New experiments at planned settlement - with new set· \Vhat really happened was that two small hamlets, Amherst and tiers from Europe - brought people to open up the land along that route. Hull's Comers, sprang up on the high road from York (now Toronto) to As they began to prosper, so the harbour community flourished as \\"CII. Kingston. One of those hamlets, Amherst, was chosen, in 1806, to be the The new villages in the back country - centred on Peterborough - centre for the civil business - the courts and the administration - of the stretched along a string of rivers and lakes that reached north and west. district of Newcastle, of which Northumberland County was then a part. This invited the Cobourg townspeople to try to harness that highway and Slowly the two hamlets increased in size to match the growing tie it to the main stream of commerce to which Lake Ontario gavc them community of Hamilton Township. The need for a harbour eventually access. found its natural outlet by the mouth of one of t1,e two creeks in what is From the moment early Cobourg people like George I' ·:t -11 or now the Town of Cobourg. It turned out that our two town-founders, Ebeneezer Perry, Zaccheus Burnham, Captain Boswell, .Ia,· _,rey Eluid and Elias, were already living there. Bethune, or good old "Squire" Robert Henry, saw the '1 T " and Now called Cobourg, the community's role in local government Otonabee Rivers and the Kawartha Lakes, the story d Cd) t. -, had brought men of influence and position to make it their home. Some begun. twenty years after the first settlement, the harbour caused shops and LEGACY BUILDING SUPPL"\7 540 Division Street· Cobourg • 905-373-0796 ARCHITECTURAL ARTIFACTS • VINTAGE LUMBER • RECLAIMED BUILDING /VL ..•..~~~ .. . ~~ Why buy thf'ir ,hed for S

l;\/l(~n y III (an ha\.'{ Sofa Central : . .. '99 King St. VI., Cobourg 129 King St. W., Cobourg Sofas - Loveseats -Chairs - Recliners - Swivel Rockers Mattresses - Futons - Beds - Bunk Beds - Day Beds Sectionals - Bedsofas Suites - Adult & Juvenile Coffee & End Tables - Lamps Linens - Comforters - Duvets Prints & W.all Decorations . Waterbeds - Airbeds ~ E'lectric beds Quality Name Brands at Discount Prices Guaranteed! Northumberland's Sit & Slee S ecialists first issue. Anyone' who could not see the destiny of Cobourg was blind. rassment of historical riches: seven provincial historic plaques, on What anyone could see was, as they would put it - national and a number of local; a wealth of beautiful old buildings; coherently preserved town style and haunting traces of its past, even, a "... a string if silver lakes and streams with ccmtented British settlers YOlt will see, in the turn of a street. alung its shores, by-passing the impassible Niagara and bringing the wealth of thenorth and west Mwn, al11UJStif its-07Jm accord, to withi~ a hair's breadth of the great commercial highway of the St. Lawrence. "

To Rice Lake; in fact, from where the waterfalls of the Tent River ~ade further downstream progress on the Trent virtull1ly hopeless. A CChis scant thirteen miles overland from Rice Lake, how~er, lay Cobourg 2nd tJook its harbour. TIlls, then, is the logic that underlies our Cobourg story. Every ~e guide identifies eleven "historical sites", and they are close t effort to attract more settlers to the back townships, to build the artificial .1 ~G ST which is the main street of town. They stretch, i harbour, the plank-roads, the Peterborough railway, even the construc- order, from the East edge of the dowritown to the West edg' tion of Victoria Hall, follows from that cry "Look at the map!". You do not need a car to see all eleven; but it's a fairly long walk. About a rill I The map they had in mind was that of the whole Ontario penin- and a half separates Site 1 to Site 11. sula. To them Georgian Bay, the key to the really far west, ought, surely, These sites are like vantage points from which some aspect of to link up direetlywith the north shore of Lake Ontario via the Trent sys- Cobourg history can be explained. From each you can,usually see or do twe tem. That would avoid Lakes Huron, St. Clair and Erie, and especially or three things at once. the Niagara River. And the best'harbour for that link would be Cobourg. Linking them, loosely, is a tour of Downtown Cobourg. This tour If they had been successful, history would have wiped Cobourg's walks through some favourite parts of Cobourg - again, all wit:Itm easy read architectural slate, clean in ari all-effecting metropolis, that probably would have stretched from Cobourg to Gore's Landing. That metropo- . of KING ST It must be pointed out that almost all of these houses are pri lis could easily have become the capital of the province, or even of the vate homes, so they should be examined With suitable decorum and respect country as some of the town fathers, no doubt, dreamed. for privacy. . The failure of those early dreams left the outline of the story to Surprisingly enough, not everyone can live on a steady diet of histor remain for us to see in the buildings and streets and creek mouths in mod- tours. For those who flag, a general rule'-of-thumb is that downtown em Cobourg. In the grandiose Victoria Hall, where early visitors, quite Cobourg, along KING ST has small local shops and restaurants in plenty, reasonably, looked at the town sllrtounding it and asked "Where is the 'whereas nationally known establishments are to be found on WILLIAM S city for which this was built?"; in the width of HIBERNIA ST where the and in Northumberland Mall to the north-west. Only one part of the tou' Cobourg and Peterborough Railroad engines once, briefly, steamed north takes you a fair walk away from convenient refreshment, and it centres on " through the town looking for western wheat; in traces, either of Boulton, park and creek. An excellent "nature walk" would include Sites 8 to 11 an, "Family Compact" political glory in "The Lawn", or of Elias Jones' first industrial mill weir on Factory Creek. . the Cobourg Trail (directionS in text). This last takes you close to the fast- Cobourg, truly, IS blessed with what can only be called an embar- food/shopping-mall region of town. .-:Sofa Central 99 King St. W., Cobourg Sofas -Loveseats -Chairs - Recliners - Swivel Rockers Sectionals - Bedsofas Coffee & End Tables -Lamps Prints & Wall Decorations Olln/it" NamA Rrnnr/,<:nt ni"rnllnt Prirp,<:r-.,mrnntppr/I Anne Marie Steger B.A., L.L.B., Stacey C.A.L. Christ B.A., L.L.B" Quality advice at an 'affordable price 256 GEORGE ST., BOX 9, 372-2217 COBOURG, ONTARIO Fax 372-1783

, Associated in the booklet with each historic site are early pictures of the site - for useful comparison - and boxes in the text with either stories or further elaboration on some orthe themes. The boxes are designed to lift the "history-buff's" spirits, by providing a broader picture of the historical flow, and, perhaps, giving the expert a reason for disagreeing with the author's view. They also give the expert something to read to distract atten- tion from the other, inevitable, irritations, such as people suddenly discover- ing they're th.in;ty, that the car wasn't locked or that the picnic hamper is now, for some unaccountable reason, floating away down that historic brook. It would, of course, be impossible to include every building or site in Cobourg which is worthy of attention. Ths is a personal selection, intended as much to encourage as to satisfy your curiosity about the town's past. Much more complete reference can be found at the Cobourg Public Library. Do not hesitate, either, to stop at Dressler House where the Chamber of Commerce has more information and brochures. There are many more Cobourg sites which are accessible by car. FinaIly, if I were to offer a word of caution, it would be never to assume that a building is insignificant because it is not noted in these pages. I have barely scratched the surface. Good luck.

Cobourgs Name Cobourg was most likely called Port Hamilton at first, along the lines of Port Hope and others. It was called 'other, less complimen. tary things as well, but in April of 1819 the citizens met at the local school.house (according to the Kingston Chronicle) and decided on the name Cobourg to celebrate the marriage of Princess Victoire of Coburg in Germany, to the Duke of Kent. To this couple, a daugh- ter,"Victoria, was born on the 24th of May, 1819. Bya complicat- ed bit of Royal succession, she became Queen Victoria, her birthday became our first national holiday and Cohourg ended up with a truly worthy, though accidentally mis-spelled, name. GRose Y'3eauly cJalon LINDA WONG, PROP. 410 DIVISION STREET, COBOURG 905-372-3743 • THE· BREAKERS.-J MOTEL • • On the Lake 94 Green Street, • Private Sandy Beach Cobourg,Ontario 8 Housekeeping, K9A 3WI Cottage & (905) 372-9231 Motel Rooms

Downtown Cobourg: Cl tour Begin at Harbour East Pier to Victoria Park to St. Peter's Church to Victoria College to Poplars to 'Noodlawn Terrace to George & Spencer to Victoria Hall to Market to Marina.

e East Pier:This is where Cobourg starts. In the earliest mdays of settlement, temporary "harves dotted the little bay that curved inland

h ')01 this spot around toward the west near the present Marina. That bay was formed by the _,mall creek which still empties into the centre of the modern harbour. (Much of it now runs underground - you can still see it in the centre of the esplanade). In 1828 the townsmen gath- ered m a local tavern to discuss the building of Though they didn't get the money, they did get 'port of entry' status, which required t],em to a proper harbour. Their committee petitioned collect duties on goods shipped (one of the principal sources of government revenue), and the government in York for money and incor- incorporation allowed t"em to set tolls on the use of the [,arbour. At first the Harbour Co. poration as the Cobourg Harbour Co. built a large customs-llOuse/warehouse at the shore end of the pier, which stretched right ow. Their first pier, completed by about t},e roadway leading out, so as to prevent anyone using' tbe pier without paying the toU. TI1~ 1830 extended five hundred feet into the lake townspeople's anger over tb.is "arrogance" almost prevented the town's incorporation in 1837 from near the entrance to the modern trailer

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Like many downtown parks in Ontario, Common" arrer Cobourg's first mayor-figure, a areas south of PERRY ST., at least, ought [Q be

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Canada to escape hired sectarian assassins, one The 'shell'slocation originally caused of whom followed him to Canada only to heated debate, with both the residents to the drown off Calcutt's own beach - though east and the merchants t~ the west whether at this beach or the west beach is open petitioning to have the shell oriented to dispute. toward them, so they could benefit hom Bordering the park to the east is the pleasant atmosphere created. CHURCH ST.Note Harbour-master/Captain and lifeboat keeper Dan Rooney's house at the brought together to form a publicly protected SE comer of CHURCH and PERRY. space for recreation. Just north on CHURCH at QUEEN Finally, the section from QUEEN ST. stands Victoria Cottage, built in 1885 as a pair to the lake was cleared of housing, with trees with Alben cottage, still to be seen around the provided by the municipality and gravel walks comer at 124 QUEEN ST. where it was moved laid out crosswise through the new "Victoria in 1905. Park". They also erected a band-shell and ball- Still on CHURCH, north of QUEEN par1-., though the military Drill-hall continued stands Mulholland House, Cobourg's best to occupy the corner where the lawn-bowling example ofItalianate architecture. dub now stands until the new Annouries were The north side of the park was long opened in 1905-6. occupied by the Arlington Hotel (built 1874 In its hey-day, the park and beach area closed in 1924 and demolisheo afterward). boasted of a large dance pavilion near the pres- Here are located monuments to the park's cen- ent band-stand, a rather imposing "beach- tennial (erected 1998), to William Weller the slide", then the old band-shell for concerts stage coach impresario and to Lenah Fisher, given by the old Citizens Band, then the "Kiltie long a supporter of Cobourg's heritage. Band". ST. PETER'S CHURCH: Located The present band-shell was built in directly across the park, the present church was i932 by Cobourg historian Percy Climo after built in 1854. Its accompanying Recton- was designs from the southern U.S. It is a sophisti- built in 1820. The new church \\'as erected cated structure, with the outer casing resting around the existing church in which services on separate foundations from the inner "shell", continued to be held until the new church was thus allowing the 'shell to resonate to the music ready, whereupon the parishioners vacated for and project it forward. a few weeks while the old church was dIsman- When the band-shell was built, PERRY tled from within. ST. still extended across the park, so the Street To the east is the original churchyard, had to be blocked to traffic for each concen. replaced in the middle of the last century by a The present cenotaph in the centre of the park new cemetery on Or-..fTARIO St. at ELGIN. was dedicated in 1927. In 1997 a bronze plaque Note particularly the graves of James Corrigal commemorating the Canadian Merchant Nan- (house in tour 2) and Captain Boswell among was affixed to the west face. others. The extreme east end of the beach is Unmarked are the graves of numerous graced by the Breakers Motel, whose main cholera \';ctims from 1832, some, even at the building is a beautifi.d regency cottage datin~ rime. buried anonvmoush'. The church is noted A~AI(';,"';1 '1~'e~t~J,,&Jilr (0'-011) ;',5 A"HISTQRICALWALKING10UROFCOEsOURl. Gotdoa J- .~al (fJ)fJ/eot~td. . (y, PAINT AND WALLPAPER ~ ~ 609 William St., Cobourg, Ont. K9A 3A6 Ie' ~ Our frien({{y, quaafiecf professiona[ staff can fiefp you QiU9I (905) 372-1748 with. a[[ !four decorating needs Fax (905) 372-0453

The Anglican church, through its claim to be the "established" church, dominated the offi. cial spiritual life of Upper Canada, though it ne';er had a clear preponderance of adherents. As late as 1824, the Anglican church was the only church authorized to conduct marriases, as marriases were legal acts. The anslicans also laid exclusive claim to the benefits to be

derived from the It clergy reserves·, one-seventh of the land in the province, which had been set aside for the "Protestant Religion ~ These reserves were among' tIle most bitterly contest- ed problems in Upper Canada' life. In January 1836, Lieutenant.Govemor Colbome arbi· trarily sranted land horn those reserves to 44 Anglican parishes throushout the province. Cobours's parish was among these, and some property in the east end of town was intended as a source of rental revenue for St. Peter's durins the last century. VICTORIA COLLEGE AND FARRADAY HALL St. Peter's was one of the rectories ST. one can see the remarkably well-preserved, delightful collection of middle class Victorian endowed in a celebrated bit of political effron- earliest downtown section of Cobourg. Some houses, closed by the facade of the old Victoria tery by Lieutenant Governor Colborne before of these stores date from as early as 1838. This College at the top of the hill. he left office in 1836, thus helping to set off the was primarily Cobourg's Hotel district in the Victoria College was born of a confer- Rebellion of 1837. early days, forming a major hub for stage traf- ence in Picton in 1827, where a group 01" Directly across the street from the fic between Toronto and Kingston. Only one Methodist ministers decided to open the Rectory, to the east of CHURCH ST. stands hotel building remains on the north side of province's first, non-denominational academ\ the original Cobourg Collegiate, said to have KING, though now an apartment building. of higher learning. They chose Cobourg as the been built from copies of designs found in a VICTORIA COLLEGE:Proceeding site, partly for its genteel society and parrly due book of English school architecture. north up COLLEGE ST., one is confronted to a generous grant of land by a Cobourg To the west of the Church, along KING with one of the nicest Cobourg Streets, with a Methodist, John Spenser. At first called the

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Edward Crane. All the money for the building's dome will continue to grace Cobourg's skylin, The only provision for higher education in the construction - which took four years - was in the future. province at the time gave the Anglican Church the raised by voluntary subscription around the THEPOPLARS: Passing to the lei leading role. The Methodis~ wished to create one Methodist preaching circuits. (west) of Victoria College along UJ\TJVERSI with no religious preco,'.Jitions, which lCOuldalso In 1841 the Academy received a degree- TY AVE., we note Girton Cottage, Willian granting charter from Queen Victoria, and, Hitchin's 1857 home on the comer of JOH:-- teach both men and women. They chose Cobourg, under its first principal, Egerton Ryerson, it ST. Up JOHN on the right is the "Secont partly for its location and partly for the generous took the name Victoria College. Empire" style home of one of Cobourg'S ma\ donation of land by John Spencer, the owner of -The In 1874 the town helped the college to ors, William Hargraft, built in 1874.On Poplars: As they could expect no help /rom govern· build a new science building, Faraday Hall, the street north and along to the left we find one t ment for such a project, they collected donations first of its kind in North America. This stood in Cobourg's oldest homes the Poplars. The ori~, /rom members of thrz church across the province. the now open ground to the east on the college inal home was built in 1827, in the form of Since many Methodists were poor farmers, the sub. grounds. Plans were underway for further one-storey Regency villa. The bow windows ( scriptio" was slow and difficult, but all the more expansion, but, in the end, the lure of joining the front are quite rare for this kind of buildil praiseworthy. The College. co"tribution to the lift of the new federated University of Toronto was and the front door is probably the origin Cobourg a"d O"ta";o would require volumes. The too strong and, in 1893, Victoria College held This is the home of John Spenser, the donor first female graduates, the first medical degrees a"d its last graduation in Cobourg before moving the land for Victoria College. Later it beGl! the first scie"ce building must stand part for the to its present location on the north-east comer home in turn to two of Cobourg's best-kno\ whole. The image of a young Hart Massey, founder of Queen's Park in Toronto. families, the Beattys and the Oaintn of the dynasty, here receivi"g his first formal school. Victoria College's contribution to Restored as a major heritage project, it nl Canada's academic life has been enormous, contains office space. ;ug in return for splitting firewoodl may &erve aG a picture 0/ its goals ;n action. Many 0/ the present including nwnerous firsts in such matters as From the Poplars we go west to 01\ College. traditions still hark back to Cobourg days, women graduates, scientific and medical train- SION ST. and turn south (left) to Woodla\' ing and, recently, literary studies and the including Acta Victoriana (Ca"ada' oldest literary Terrace. This beautiful house, now an eleg'l encouragement of Canadian literature. inn/restaurant, was the home of Cobourg's fi, review), the annual Bob sketch (named for a beloved The college became a hospital, chang- Police Board President, Ebeneezer Perry. , Cobourg custodia,,) a"d the newspaper The Strand ing to a convalescent hospital for soldiers Police Board was the earliest form of munie; I (nam~dfor Cobourg. beach). returning from the trenches of World War I. government which predates, but leant r Later it became a mental asylwn (One sarcastic name to, our modern "police".) Perry was I Upper Canada Academy - to distinguish it professor remarked that in this it differed little son of a Loyalist officer who settled from the Anglican Upper Canada College in from its earlier years) and has recently been Cobourg in about 1815. He may have partl Toronto - it opened its doors in 1836. The completely refurbished in its interior to pated in the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813, \Vb building was designed in the Greek style by become a seniors' home, thus ensuring that its his cousin, Oliver Perry, won for the Americ

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- coining the memorable expression "We have met the enemy and he is ours." A prominent merchant/importer lexporter, we have met him as the owner of Perry's Common, the precursor to Victoria park. He built a large warehouse on the east side of Division St. beside the Harbour Co. office, which later became a hotel and was only tom down within recent memory. He also owned a large mill on the north outskirts of town (see tour 2). His brother Peter Perry became a prominent reformer with William Lyon Mackenzie, and later founded Port Perry which was named after him. Originally a one-storey Regency villa, (like Poplars), the house has been much added- to, while retaining much of the original charm. Note the elaborate front door, low hip-roof and contrasting window sizes. South of Woodlawn and across the street at the south-east corner of UN1VERSI- TY stands St. Michael's Catholic Church. This replaced, in 1896, the original catholic church GEORGE ST.: Though one might not, Peterborough Railway. These cars were so suc- on WILLIAM ST. A number of plaques in at first, guess it, this section of GEORGE ST. cessful that Crossen went on to build passenger front and beside the church outline St. constitutes Victorian Cobourg'S Industrial cars as well. To do this, he expanded his works, Michael's many contributions to Cobourg life. Park. Behind the opulent houses on view, are relocating to what had earlier been designated The rectory stood on the open space south of the factories which generated much of as an elegant residential square, west of George the church until its recent demolition. Cobourg's wealth in the last years of the nine- St. above University. Crossen built his resi- Moving north on DIVISION one can cross to the teenth century. The build-up in this area began dence on George, with the new foundry out west at MUNROE ST (lights by the mall) and go with James Crossen, a foundry owner whose behind him, near the railway. His passenger west on PARK to GEORGE ST On the way you first place of business was near St. Peter's cars, at one time, drove the famous Pullman will pass over Cobourg Creek, which flows panly Church. He was given the contract to build flat Cars right out of the Canadian market and underground into the harbour. log carrying cars for the Cobourg to were sold all over the U.S. as well.

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. ished,) Opposite it, to the south-east is a from GEORGE ST., one notices that the three G;'orge St. was actually named for Geo~ge Cobourg jewel, "Dromore", the home of the windows framed by that extremely high gable, Strong, the owner of the first Steam10at HoteL Dumble family. Dumble senior, came to elongate the appearance of height by decreas- He later built a hotel at the comer of George . Canada in 1847 to mediate in a dispute with ing in size as they ascend. This is one of every- and King, which finally bec~e the Bri~h the Americans over the New Brunswick border. one's favourite houses, Hotel. The site of the British Hotel has been Finally settling in CObourg, he built this Across the street, to the south-west, at ta1en over and renovated by a banI..Many of Gothic style house in 1857. Note, among other #363, s~ands druggist John Cullingford's 1856 the buildings at the south end of George St. are treasures, the quatre-foil and trefoil window home and business. It has been labelled older than they would at first seem. carvings, the nine round-windowed dormers, "Ontario Vernacular' Gothic Revival" in style. the delicate "D" carved into the bottom of the Note the wrought-iron fence, artfully fash- The north end of GEORGE ST. is brackets and the three~potted chimney. Viewed ioned to look like a simple picket fence. famous for its large, elegant old homes. Prominent among them are two houses dated 1871, ## 475 & 465. # 475 is a Victorian Gothic with Classic revival elements. # 465, "Cedar Hedge", is James Crossen's house (the elder Crossen is also memorialized in a stain- glass window in Trinity United Church). Further south on the west side at 449 stands "Fairlawn", the home of Crossen's son, William, who took over after his father died. This house, in Queen Anne style, dates from 1870 with later renovations. On the south . porch one can just make Out a projecting win- dow case which replicates the rear of a Crossen Railroad Dining Car. \Ne now move down GEORGEST., south to UNIVERSITY. Crossing at the light we move south to HAVELOCK. On the northeast corner stands the house of R.D. Chatterton, first editor of the Cobourg Star. (The Star itself had its first, 1831, home on GEORGEST. near KING - long since demol-

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Continue south to KING. Cobourg was going to become. The corner- banners were hung and the Prince arrived to a GEORGE and KING STS. form the stone for Victoria Hall was laid by the then tumultuous welcome, the dining and dancing modem core of downtown Cobourg. The first Prime Minister, Sir Alan Napier McNab in going on until well past dawn. A select few downtown was further east, surrounding the 1856. The architect was Kivas Tully. Cobourg ladies achieved life-long distinction early hotels. Bankruptcy proceedings following The barely-finished building was for the honour of dancing with the young the failure of the Cobourg branch of the Bank opened on Sept. 3rd, 1860 by Prince Albert Prince during Cobourg's most gala event ever. of Upper Canada held up the development of Edward, the Prince of Wales, who later became The Burnet family of local contractors did the this section for a number of years in the 1830's. Edward VII. There has long been a Cobourg actual building, supplying masonry carving and When Cobourg's municipal government was tradition that the young price, on his first over- furniture as well. So precarious were the town's reshaped in 1850 into something like its mod- seas visit and the first in the modern style of finances, though, that for some items the fami- ern form, the town fathers decided to build a Royal visits to the then Empire, waited on ly was not paid in full until 1938. So, too, some town hall worthy of the city they were sure board his steamer in the harbour until he could three or four years after the opening, the be assured that the floors in the upstairs ball- town's fathers found the one former land- room were solid enough to withstand the danc- owner had not been compensated for her land, ing. There was something odd about the con- and a nasty lawsuit was narrowly avoided. struction of that floor, giving it a spring in the Victoria Hall conducts daily tours in step, but which also, later, caused the supports summer, and no visit to Cobourg would be to weaken, threatening the upstairs of the complete without taking one. building as a whole. Parts of the structure were constructed in such haste, yet with delays COBOURG DOWNTOWN: It is through lack of funds, that often unfinished often felt that Cobourg has one of the most bits were left exposed to the weather, making complete Victorian downtown streetscapes in them unstable. Ontario. CertainI\' photographs and post-cards It is every bit as likely, that the delay in from before the turn of the century show the Prince's arrival was caused by fears that the remarkably little change in the section from local Orange order might have erected even Victoria Hall to Division St. The buildings mildly anti-Catholic banners over the streets, opposite Victoria Hall h3ve obviously been under which, for political reasons, the Prince rebuilt recently and one major loss appears to could not be seen to walk.This had happened have been the original Bank of Montreal build- in Kingston and Belleville, forcing the Prince's ing. Another major ch3nge was the destruction chief adviser, the Duke of Newcastle (himself a of the original POSt Office at the SE corner of Catholic), to change the itinerary so that the Division and King. One other, cosmetic, Prince arrived by boat rather than by train. No change as been the loss of the tradition of

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Evelvn Vander Mey Sales Representative A- 4 (c L " t ec.-tvlc- --C.o j.cAJ ~ CO 1~) 1'", t.f" Historical sites known as "Corktown" after early Irish inuni- e first church on this site was built grants who, as in Toronto's Cabbagetown, tend- of wood in 1820, though an ed to settle there. DONEGAN PARK, toward Anglican minister was conducting ~s hill, on the east edge of town, the lake on the east side of D'ARCY ST., once regulamr services here before then. The site was 1. ~Iances Weller's Hill on the west. formed part of the "Boulton Woods" and was purchased from John Spencer for ten pounds George Strange Boulton built used for militia exercises and horse races. lawful money. The present church was built by "Northwnberland Hall" on the highest To complete our picture of Boulton's Kivas Tully in 1854. It was built around the orig- point of this hill in 1825 (Demolished. 1974). Hill, move south to PERRY ST. and turn west. inal church, while services continued to be held Boulton moved here from Port Hope (which he On the north side you will notice (#'s 226-240) a inside. When it was complete, the parishioners is credited with having named) in 1824 to number of Ontario Cottages, built in the 1850's repaired to the specially cleaned out mal t-house become the registrar for Northumberland by D'Arcy Boulton for his servants. This was at Calcutt's Brewery for a service, while the old County and was intimately involved in every part generous, by contemporary standards, b ut not church was dismantled from the interior of the of the settlement of the district. He was, among extravagant. Throughout the literary portrait new. The Rectory dates from 1876-7. other things, a member of the Assembly and the drawn by visitors to Upper Canada, there runs a Take up a position in front of the Church Legislative Council of Upper Canada. His common thread of the scarcity - and therefore proper. Stretching to the west along KING ST. nephew D'Arcy Edward Boulton, built the the importance - of good servants .. According to from COLLEGE ST. (which bow1ds the church "regency cottage", known as "THE LAWN", most newcomers, anyone wishing to enter property towards town) is the district long occu- behind the cedar hedge at the NW comer of domestic service in the colonv, even for a short pied by Cobourg's distinguished roster of hotels. D'ARCYand QUEEN STS. This house, which time, could easily earn enough to set up on their The glamourous "Arlington Hotel", once graced was recently demolished, was the target of an own. So, too, democratic principles had so the north verge of what is now VICTORIA unsuccessful patriot assault on Cobourg in the quickly travelled north from the States, that it PARK. aftermath of the Rebellion of 1837. D'Arcywent was difficult to maintain the rigid class divisions The Steamboat, later Albion, whose on to become mayor of Cobourg (several times) of England. D'Arcywas probably being prudent. image adorns a Canadian collectible coin, stood and head of the Cobourg-Peterborough Behind 240 you can just see - from the street - on the north side of KING, west of COLLEGE. Railway. what may have been the Boulton's greenhouse Beside it was the "Globe". (Near the ice-cream At the foot of D'ARCY ST. stood and coal shed. parlour). These were the focal point for William Cobourg's first hospital, a barn converted to that 'Neller's Stage Coach lines, the first to link use during the plague year of 1832. West of Toronto and Montreal. His stables, repair shops D'ARCY ST. along the lake, is the area long and blacksmiths filled the modem SWAThTE ST. to the west and slightly north.(There is a Th~ Boultons were among the most prominent families in Upper Canada. Their marital con- Historic Plaque to Weller in the park across the nections with other families in Toronto literally gave rise to the term "FamJy Compact~ street.) The modem shops you see on the south (Grandfather D'Arcy Boulton, after whom D'ARCY ST. is prohahly named, heads the "FamJy side of KING to the west of the park area, date Compact" list as set out hy their arch-enemy William Lyon Hackenzie). One uncle, Peter from 1830's and 40's. Opposite them, at 20 KING E., you will find the last remnant of the Rohinson, founded Peterhorough. Another, John Beverly Rohinson founded tl'e Law Society hotel strip, once another Albion Hotel, no\\" an of Upper Canada. D'Arcy's father huJt "THEGRANGE" in Toronto, now part of the ART apartment and shops. It is said to have served as GALLERY OF ONTARIO. His hrother William, while Mayor of Toronto, founded the a hospital for soldiers in the Fenian Raids of CNE. The Boultons were lawyers, who also helped huJd Cohourg Harhour, tl'e Trent water- 1866. way and the county road network. Both Sir John A. Hacdonald and Cohourg's "Father of In the park opposite the church you will Confederation" James Cockhurn, at one time partnered in the Boulton law firm. see a marker to Lenah Field Fisher, who was among those who brought disparate sections of

KITCHEN CLASSICS KITCHEN & BATH GALLERY Est. 1993 Professional Design & Installation IIU$!~D~.§.!! " Cabinets " Countertops " Sinks & Faucets CORIAtl" " Shower Stalls "Bathtubs "Toilets Created For Life:" private and public lanJ 'uf(er!ler tv form the cur- rent VICTORIA PARK. The main body of the park, berween the beach and QUEEN ST., was once known as "Pen-y's Common".As proper- ties became available, the park expanded. Some thought is noW being given to adding to the park the property of the recently tom-down Chateau Hotel (the empty lot on the NW comer of KING and MCGILL), in the spirit of those ear- lier additions. The park gates were installed in 1948 as a memorial to wwrr. On the present cenotaph (out of sight in the centre of the park) a bronze plaque commemorating the Merchant Navy has jUH been' dedicated. In the churchyard beside St. Peter's, you may wish to notice the graves of Capt. Boswell and Jacob Corrigal. Also the broken stone to George Boulton and his wives. Moving EAST yC"1will find, opposite the Rectory the original CuBOURG COLL£!jIATE. The building is said to have been designed along hand'WTItten notes, copied from a book of school architecture from England. It used to have a cupola in the middle of the roof, and is now aparmlents. Two of its gargoyles survive on a facade on was recently restored as Cobourg's oldest exist- DIVISION ST. (now DOSS office supplies). ing dwelling. (Now office space). It has been Behind the college can still be seen a remarkable, home to.wee of Cobourg's most famous fami- though neglected, nineteenth-century "ice- lies, the Spencers, Beattys and Daintrys. The e first and greatest of COOourg's house", and the SPENCER ST. Gatehouse. bow windows are rare, for Canada, and the door magnificcr.t landmarks, built and On the west side of Victoria College at is original. ~ deSIgned by Edward Crane.A the N\V comer of U1\TIVERSI1Y and JOHN From here proceed west to DIVISION Methodist Church conference in Hallowell (now STS. stands the 1857 home of \Villi am Hitchins, ST. and go soum to Site 4 at CHAPEL ST. Picton) in 1827 detennined to establish a non- "GIRTON COTTAGE". Note the beautiful Along me way you will pass the WOODIA \VN denominational Academy of Learning. The fence, though it is a later addition. Going north TERRACE INN. This was the 1835 home of building took years to complete and cost a for- on JOHN ST. you ,,~ll notice a quite spectacular Ebeneezer Perry, and his son Charles. tune for its time. The cornerstone (whose loca- "Second Empire" style house on the E. The Ebeneezer was a very prominent Cobourg mer- tion has long been a mystery) was laid in 1832 style is recognizable by the sloping "mansard" chant, who arrived in town in about 1815. In and classes began in 1836.Originally called roof. This 1874 building was the home of 1813 he is said to have fought with me British "Upper Canada Academy", to distinguish it from \Villiam Hargraft, a leading merchant involved forces at me battle of Lake Erie, which his cousin Toronto's "Upper Canada College", in 1841 it in the handling of grain and coal. Hargraft, who Oliver Perry won for the Americans. Perry received a royal charter to grant degrees wlder was mayor of Cobourg and also a member of the bought most of me land south of KING aronnd the name "VICTORIA COLLEGE". provincial parliament, built a grain elevator near tile harbour (hence Perry's Common in tile In 1893 VlCTURL-\ COLLEGE united the harbour, equipped with me latest gas po\\"- park). He was me first head of me Cobourg with the Universirv ofT

e first downtown Methodist church was built on this site in ~ 1824. It stood beside the Common District Schoolhouse, a grammar school which also served as a Community Hall and which stood opposite the entrance to COVERT ST Many of the most important decisions in the town's early life were debated there. The present church was built by %lliam Storm in 1852 and was greatly remodelled in 1900-0 J. It was renamed after the church union produced the United Church in the 1920's. THE CHAPEL, (now under renova- tion - May 1998) on the north side of CHAPEL ST., originally the Sunday School and College Chapel, served as the town's library from 1969 to 1996. Opposite the entrance to CHAPEL ST is the 1840's home (grey-green u'im) of Dr. Gilchrist. He was a Methodist GP, and stands for the type of moderate Methodist Reformer Beautiful Monuments 3 Internationally Acclaimed Artists 55 Reps. in Central and Eastern Ontario Enduring Series - Unbeatable Prices The only perpetual guarantee available Quality leader since 1909 MANTRONICS TECHNOLOGIES Computers • Networks • Service * Training Since 1988 CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS FOR IN-STORE AND ON-SITE REPAIRS (905)372-1766 Fax: (905)372-8153 35 King Street West in Downtown Cobourg

Along that street, in 1804, was established one of Cobourg's earliest industries, a distillery. Later, as a colliery importing coal from Rochester, the site remained a staple of Cobourg's economy until the last war. The "Downtown" has remained virtually unchanged since the 1860's. A good idea of its unity can be had from the entrance to that passageway. If you look from there to the west along the upper- storey line of the north row of buildings, you will see a single small gable, above May's flowers. That gable originally framed the town clock, before Victoria Hall was built. Beebe's shoe store (south side half-way to Victoria Hall) preserves its original facade.

n1828, local businessmen petitioned the Assembly at York for assistance in Ireplacing the makeshift wharves - at which passing ships had often had to unload their deliveries of goods or passengers by row-boat - with a proper harbour. They received good wish- The first pier began near the entrance to the now), and the East Pier was extended to more es in abundance and, let us say, gracious permis- trailer park, extended 500 ft. into the lake and than a thousand feet. The Cobourg and sion to raise· their own money to go ahead with ended with a lighthouse not unlike the one today. Peterborough Railway had its terminal at the the project. This they did, and The Cobourg To ensure payment of its tolls for use of the har- harbour with a station on the west side of DIVI- Harbour Co. was incorporated and began its bour, the harbour company built a warehouse- SION ST beside the current unpaved esplanade, operations in about 1830, starting with this pier. curn-Custom-house with an archway right over and \\~th the tracks extending right on to the East L. 1833 they built a slipway for shipbuilding to the road leading away from the pier, so they Pier. the east of the pier, where the Steamer could block anyone entering or leaving before Once re-incorporated under the new "Cobourg" was launmed in May of 1833. their goods were checked. This building can municipal statutes of 1850, the town bought the The harbour has been .rebuilt, dredged clearly be seen in most early paintings of harbour back from the company at, some said, and expanded many times and to suit many dif- Cobourg. Within ten years the West Pier was ruinous expense. From the 1830's to mid-centu- ferent businesses in the past century and a half added, (approximately where the iVlarina pier is ry and beyond, Cobourg was indeed a bustling 'E,[[a)s 'Drapery & 'Decor "Specializing in Window Treatments" sh-OP a-t ~:rrt£- <;erV1.C-

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24 HOUR TOWING BRUCE & RICK'S ESSO LTO. ROTARY PARK (east side of WILLIAM ST. below the court-house) PERRY'SIPRATT'S at ELGIN and ONTARlO (now beautifully restored as The Mill golf-course/restaurant) and WHITE'S (now disappeared). A famous mill on this watercourse can also be seen in the town 01 BALTIMORE north of Cobourg on H\VY. 45. On May 14th, 1864, the spring run-off over- whelmed the dam at Perry's or Pratt's Mill (no\\ the golf-course/restaurant at ELGIN ST.). The surge of water broke the dams in turn, at each of the mills then on the creek downstream of Perry's, uprooting trees along the banks, destroy- ing the millworks and sweeping workn1en out to the lake. Three men died as a result, some with conspicuous heroism as they struggled to rescue fellow workers. The slick of mud and wreckage was visible for a mile out into the lake. Cobourg residents before the last war, but denuded and Toronto was the 1800 one at Port Hope). He One of the results of the shortage of of gravel for the building of the 40 1, and eroded realized that the completely unfinished products money was that potential settlers were encour- away. On the western horiwn, a mile form shore, is of the district could not compete, given the high aged to purd1ase land with very small down pay- St. Peter's light, once a substantial island with a light- cost of shipping from a place in Cobourg, so he ments. They would buy the land and strip it of house, now a lighted marker. built a mill, first for grinding flour, then, almost trees to be sold as lumber for cash. Often they The house to the SE, known as "THE immediately after, for sawing lumber. The first would then use the cash to buy a complete farm HILL", was the home of William Weller, the mill seems to have stood about 200 feet upstream elsewhere, leaving the land stripped bare and "Stage-Coach King", who operated the principal from the KING ST. BRIDGE, where the weir is uncultivated so that the rains would create the transportation network between Toronto and now. terrible erosion that ultimately destroyed many Montreal in the 1830's to 1860's. In one famous His simultaneous creation of a distillery· of the creeks and rivers. incident he pulled off a' thirty-six hour, Toronto- as well is not surprising. Yes, they drank far more Coming when it did, that flood could Montreal commute for the Governor-General, than we would consider safe nowadays (in local almost serve to symbolize the collapse of Lord Sydenham, in order for the governor to hotels whiskey was free at breakfast as a matter of Cobourg's Railroad were seen to be failing, the make a political appointment and for William to course), but a more important clue can be taken Rice Lake bridge had been weakened by the ice win a bet. He also operated north to from the lament of one farmer tha t, due to poor again, the harbour was unnaturally quiet as Peterborough and actively supponed Cobourg's shipping opportunities, he was forced to feed his exports began to slip off to Toronto harbour or aspirations to growth in the Trent system and wheat to his cattle so as not to waste it. Cattle rattle through town on the Grand Trunk railw3\ railroad schemes. usually fed free-range in those days, usually on to Montreal. Increasingly the harbour wa, His house, once the summer home of marsh plants. Unshipped wheat raised a consid- choked with coal, dumped there for the train, American President Ulysses. S. Grant's daughter, erable profit if distilled into whiskey, as that was that would take Cobourg's business elsewhere. has been a retreat for most of the last century more portable and would not spoil, so as soon as The rivers and the lake just didn't seem to ha,'c operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph. (See the you had a mill you built a distillery as well. delivered on the earlier promise. plaque at St. Nuchael's Church). These mills, then, represent Cobourg's Not yet foreseen was a completely ne\\ first industry and point the way to its later devel- use for the lake and Northumberland's natural opment as a commercial entrepot for the region. beauty. As the centurv drew on, more of the bus} Soon there were mills all the way up the river, the people passing through would choose to come principal ones being the Ontario Woolen Mils back for a visit, to star in one of those numerous liasJones was the first to dam the Gust downstream from Jones' and fed by feeder hotels, to build a co~try home near the lake, or creek, possibly as early as 1801-2. from it) another just west of "WILLIAM ST. just to relax in the no\\" quiet town I think this i' E(fhe first mill between Kingston which created a mill-pond on the present site of where we came in. VICTORIA RETIREMENT LIVING

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