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Welcome to Canada, c.1898

Demolished House in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Dec 21 2014

ground state
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Welcome to Canada, c.1898 - Welcome to Canada c.1898 01.jpg
April 1883 - Construction begins on the Lower Steel Arch & Michigan Central Railway (MCRR) between Canada and the U.S.
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This was to be a rail bridge only. On December 1st 1883, the bridge was officially completed at a cost of $700,000 dollars. On December 6th 1883 at 11:41 a.m., the first crossing of this new bridge was made. It consisted of an engine pulling a tender and passenger car.
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It was the dream of Cornelius Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt needed a rail link between Canada and the U.S., but was not prepared to pay the high rental price which the owners of the Lower Arch Bridge (seen in the background) were asking for in lieu of using their bridge.
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This 3-story mansion was the original receiving headquarters for trains coming across the bridge. In the background to the right of the house, one can see the bridge extending into the U.S.
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The different floors of the house had various functions. The main floor had a post office and customs check....
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There were also several lavish rooms with fireplaces where visitors to Canada could relax and enjoy upper-class comforts while waiting for official clearance.
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The 2nd floor of the mansion had several guest rooms featuring overnight accommodations, if necessary.
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The rooms were opulent enough that even King Albert of Belgium stayed here for two nights in the late 1910s during a trip to Niagara to visit Hon. N. W. Rowell, leader of the Ontario Liberal Party.
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The 3rd level was an administrative office used to store business records pertaining to immigration.
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In the 1940s, the mansion was sold and converted into regular residential real estate. Several of the retrofits left bizarre modifications that can still be seen....
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Some doors, like this one in the ground floor bathroom, are several feet off the ground and lead nowhere. This one is permanently sealed shut.
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