Ancaster History

Ontario Real Estate --> Ontario Real Estate Listings --> Ancaster --> Ancaster History

History

It was surveyed as Ancaster Township in the 1790s, attached variously to Nassau District, Home District, York County (West Riding) and Halton County. Finally, in 1851, it was attached to Wentworth County and its successors where it remains today. It was one of the three original potential capitals of Upper Canada with a strong defensible position and close to water but ended up being too close to the American border.

Its pioneer settlers deforested the land and planted crops for subsistence agriculture. For a century it was an unimposing gristmill hamlet and police village. The mill was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. It now operates as the Ancaster Old Mill, a restaurant and banquet hall popular for wedding receptions. The Barracks of 1812 still stand on Wilson Street as a reminder of the war of 1812 between the British and Americans. Some fine examples of Victorian architecture are also located on Wilson Street, amongst them is the imposing Richardson residence, now the home of The Spa at Ancaster, which was built in 1872 as a wedding present for Dr Henry Richardson.

The Hermitage is a popular site in Ancaster. This historic house was once the property of Reverend George Sheed in 1830. Since then the house has changed ownership many times before burning to the ground in 1934. The shell of the old house and surrounding buildings can still be visited today. One of the main draws of this old property is the legend of the property being haunted. There are ghost tours run throughout the summer with the tour guides telling haunted stories of the land and the surrounding county.