Dundurn Cockpit at Dundurn Castle
This small building behind Dundurn Castle in Hamilton might easily be mistaken for a small chapel. It has been variously suggested that it is theatre, a laundry, a boat-house, an office or a chapel for Sir Allan’s Roman Catholic wife. During restoration of the building, it was concluded to be a cock fighting pit, for the entertainment of guests. There is also talk of an underground tunnel from the castle to this building but I don’t think any evidence has been found of this.
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Hamilton Waterworks Pumphouse- Steam Museum
Built in 1857 for the then staggering budget of $600,000, the Hamilton Waterworks Pumphouse provided clean water for the City of Hamilton. Before this time, cholera was epidemic in the city due to contaminated water, at times claiming over 500 lives in a year. It was a very impressive piece of engineering as it pumped 600,000 gallons of water per hour up 190 feet in height to a reservoir on the Niagara Escarpment.
The building is now the site of of a Steam Museum.
Waterworks Pumphouse
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Cannon Knitting Mill
This building is said to have been built in about 1860 and operated as a knitting mill for many years. Rumor has it that it has been sold to a developer who will turn it into condos. If so, it would have a lot of pluses, close to the city center, a park out behind and solid construction. On the other hand the neighborhood is a bit rough.
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Wolseley Barracks, London
Built in the 1880s in what was at that time, the outskirts of London, Ontario. Tens of thousands of soldiers received their training here before being sent to engage in the two world wars.
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Venice Street
An old image that has been stomped on with new processing
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McNabb Townhouses
Found on McNabb St. near Barton Street in Hamilton, these pictureque buildings were built in 1879 and have been well preserved
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The Customs House, Hamilton
Ordered built by the Ontario Legislature in 1855 and completed in 1860, the Customs House was a center to promote the growing trade the area enjoyed aided by the nearby Port of Hamilton and the Great Railway Line. It can be found at 51 Stuart Street, where it currently houses the Workers Art and Heritage Center.
The Historic Plaque reads
“The former Customs House (1858-1860) is a fine example of the Italianate style of architecture which was popular in Canada from the 1840s through the 1870s. Inspired by Renaissance palazzi of Rome and Florence, Italianate buildings were characterized by an elevated first storey of rusticated stone, a smooth upper storey, abundant classical detailing and a heavy cornice. The design of the Customs House is enhanced by the superior quality of its stonework and the variety of finishes. Its construction reflected the rise of Hamilton as a major railway centre and Great Lakes port.”
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Dundurn Castle, Hamilton
Built in 1835 by Sir Allan Napier MacNab in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, Dundurn Castle became a famous place for entertaining, including the Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald and King Edward VII of England. It originally had 72 rooms, 42 0f which have been renovated for public visits as it is now owned by the City of Hamilton and is designated as a National Historic Site.
Dundurn Castle, Hamilton
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Outside the D'Orsay
The entrance to the D’orsay museum in Paris is a wonderful design.
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Panama Shopping
A Panama street scene from the old part of the city
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