Dundurn Castle is a historic
neoclassical mansion on York Boulevard in
Hamilton Hamilton may refer to:
People
* Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname
** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland
** Lord Hamilt ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada. The house took three years and $175,000 to build, and was completed in 1835.
The forty-room castle featured the latest conveniences of gas lighting and running water.
[ It is currently owned by the City of Hamilton, which purchased it in 1899 or 1900 for $50,000.][ The city has spent nearly $3 million renovating the site to make it open to the public.][ The rooms have been restored to the year 1855 when its owner Sir Allan Napier MacNab, 1st Baronet, was at the height of his career. Costumed interpreters guide visitors through the home, illustrating daily life from the 1850s. The Queen of Canada, a descendant of Sir Allan MacNab, is the Royal Patron of Dundurn Castle.
]
History
Dundurn Castle, a Regency house, was completed in 1835 by architect Robert Charles Wetherell. MacNab purchased the property from Richard Beasley, one of Hamilton's early settlers, when financial difficulties forced Beasley to sell lands at Burlington Heights (present day Dundurn Park), and MacNab built Dundurn Castle on the foundations of Beasley's brick home. Once built, Dundurn Castle became famous all over the country for its grand entertainments. Sir John A. Macdonald
Sir John Alexander Macdonald (January 10 or 11, 1815 – June 6, 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 to 1891. The dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, he had a political career that sp ...
and King Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...
are among those who have been entertained there.
Sir Allan MacNab, later Premier of the united Province of Canada
The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report on th ...
between 1854 and 1856, hired architect Robert Wetherall and construction of this stately home was completed in 1835. The pillars and portico were added in 1855 as part of the preparations for the wedding of MacNab's daughter Sophia.
After MacNab's death, the estate was used as an institution for deaf mutes, then was purchased in 1872 by Donald McInnes, who sold Dundurn to the City of Hamilton in 1899. On June 1, 1928, the Hamilton Aviary at Dundurn Castle was opened to the public. In the late 1960s, Dundurn Castle was restored as a Centennial
{{other uses, Centennial (disambiguation), Centenary (disambiguation)
A centennial, or centenary in British English, is a 100th anniversary or otherwise relates to a century, a period of 100 years.
Notable events
Notable centennial events at ...
project. It is now designated as a National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
. In 1996, the Aviary was relocated to Churchill Park in Westdale.
A Strathspey Strathspey may refer to one of the following:
* Strathspey, Scotland, an area in the Highlands of Scotland
* Strathspey Camanachd
Strathspey Camanachd is a shinty club based in Grantown-on-Spey, Strathspey, Scotland, currently competing in the ...
for bagpipes was composed in honour of Dundurn Castle.
Hamilton Military Museum
The park includes Hamilton Military Museum, which is housed in an outbuilding which was relocated when York Street was widened as York Boulevard in the 1970s. Displays include the War of 1812
The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
, the Rebellions of 1837
Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority.
A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
, the Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sou ...
, World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
and the role of women in the military. Artifacts include uniforms, medals, weapons, photographs and other military memorabilia. The museum also features a library with materials about Canadian military history, which is open by appointment.
Grounds
Dundurn Castle operates as a civic museum, and its grounds house other attractions. Dundurn Park and its associated green spaces are favourites for wedding portraits. The Cockpit Theatre occasionally housed outdoor events and dramas.
A large German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
piece, booty from the First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, was removed from the southeastern part of the park in the mid-1980s. Until about 1990, it housed an aviary
An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flight cages. Avi ...
which was moved to the Westdale neighbourhood. The former covered pavilion offered picnickers protection from the cold, but in the last few years a walled garden was put in its place. The gates at the front entrance of the park originally came from England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
, but the stone pillars were cut from the Dundas mountain. In 1931, parts of the gates were removed and taken to the Chedoke Golf Club.
Dundurn Park has its own folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings.
Eighteenth-cent ...
, just east of the castle. Living up to its purpose, it had confused some people who had considered it a theatre, a laundry, a boat-house, a buttery, an office, a chapel for Sir Allan's Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
* Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...
wife, or even a cockfighting ring, although no proof of the last use has ever been found. Urban legend
An urban legend (sometimes contemporary legend, modern legend, urban myth, or urban tale) is a genre of folklore comprising stories or fallacious claims circulated as true, especially as having happened to a "friend of a friend" or a family m ...
has it that many tunnels were built, leading from the Castle to various parts of the estate and one of the entrances was through the folly.
Sir Allan Napier MacNab was originally buried in 1862 on the Dundurn Park grounds between Dundurn Castle and Castle Dean on the corner of Locke Street and Tecumseh Street. In 1909, his body was removed and taken to Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in west Hamilton. His grave was unmarked until 1967, when the Canadian Club of Hamilton placed a bench and grave marker.
A 360-degree curved plaque was unveiled at Fieldcote Museum in Ancaster on July 20, 2014, marking the 200th anniversary of the most important and largest mass hanging in Canadian history, the execution of nine men convicted of treason during the War of 1812. This event is known locally as The Bloody Assize. The men were taken from York, then capital of Upper Canada, and executed near present-day Inchbury Street at the eastern end of Dundurn Park. Their burial place nearby has not yet been discovered by archaeological research.
A large garden is cultivated near the eastern edge of the park. The produce is used in the castle's kitchen, and the excess is donated to a local food bank. Tours of the castle end in the kitchen, where samples of cuisine of the era are offered to tourists.
See also
* List of attractions in Hamilton, Ontario
* Ravenscrag House, Montreal
*List of castles in Canada
This is a list of castles in Canada. Most cannot properly be described as true castles. They are primarily country houses, folly, follies, or other types of buildings built to give the appearance of a castle. They are usually designed in the Goth ...
References
External links
"Dundurn Castle"
Culture and Recreation, Hamilton
{{coord, 43.269481, N, 79.884649, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark, display=title
Castles in Canada
Museums in Hamilton, Ontario
Houses in Ontario
National Historic Sites in Ontario
Historic house museums in Ontario
Military and war museums in Canada
Neoclassical architecture in Canada
Designated heritage properties in Ontario
1835 establishments in Canada
Reportedly haunted locations in Ontario