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The War of 1812 is an often overlooked conflict with misleading nomenclature, fought on the North American frontier during an era when beaver pelts held far more sway as currency than the mighty dollar. The most significant (and bloodiest) fighting occurred in 1814, and hostilities didn’t officially end until the following year. By then, the headline-grabbing Napoleon Bonaparte had already begun marching to meet his Waterloo.
More than 200 years later, however, this mostly forgotten chapter of history comes alive with the roar of cannons and musket-fire at Old Fort Erie in Ontario, Canada. As a bonus, the living museum is located a mere 20 miles from the awe-inspiring Niagara Falls, along a scenic parkway that Winston Churchill once called ‘the prettiest Sunday drive in the world’.
Several centuries before French fur traders established a lucrative trading post along the Niagara River in the late 1600s, the territory had been an important source of flintstone for the Haudenosaunee (‘The People of the Longhouse’), commonly known as the Iroquois or Six Nations Confederacy. These indigenous tribes, which comprised the Seneca, Mohawk, Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, and Tuscarora, relied heavily on quarrying the abundant stone for tools and weapons.
Great Britain claimed the prized region after defeating the French in the Seven Years War. In 1764, the year after the war’s end, British forces constructed the original Fort Erie at the entrance to the Niagara River and opposite Buffalo, New York. The garrison served as a stop-over for ships carrying merchandise and passengers to the Upper Great Lakes, and, later, as a supply base for British troops and their allies during the American Revolution.
By 1803, a combination of fires, warfare, and Mother Nature’s relentless fury of winter storms had necessitated several rebuildings of the fort. The much improved last version, built on the heights behind the original post, was still unfinished when the United States decided to expand its burgeoning empire by declaring war on Great Britain in June 1812. It is this blueprint (more or less) of the restored, star-shaped citadel that visitors can still experience to this day.
Unfortunate distinction
The tour, whether self-guided or curated, begins at the Welcome Centre, where a series of interactive exhibits and a short film about the War of 1812 provide an excellent primer before you head outside to explore the fort. As always, a good pair of hiking shoes is helpful when traversing the series of steep redoubts, abatis-lined earthworks, and gun bastions.
Drew Neufeld of the Niagara Parks Commission explains the importance and enduring legacy of the property. ‘Not only is Fort Erie the site of Ontario’s oldest British military fort, but it holds the unfortunate distinction of being Canada’s bloodiest battlefield,’ he said. ‘Our site is certainly a staple in the community, so much so that the town bears its name.’
Staff dressed in period costumes offer an experiential interpretation of the daily routines behind the walls in the early 19th century. Among the many popular attractions are the daily musket demonstrations, as well as the firing of a cannon depending on the time of the day and weather.
Authentically reconstructed barracks and rooms include a mess hall, officers’ quarters, and an infirmary replete with blood-stained surgical equipment. It’s a safe bet that whiskey – and lots of it – came in handy as a natural antiseptic.
The worst of the fighting commenced on 14 August 1814, resulting in a two-month siege that would claim the lives of more than 3,000 soldiers. Every August, hundreds of historical re-enactors from across Canada and the United States recreate the mayhem that occurred during the attack.
The event is North America’s largest annual 1812 re-enactment and features a massive pyrotechnics presentation during the day, followed by evening candlelight tours depicting the aftermath of the battle. In addition, costumed merchants and sutlers can be found peddling their wares and provisions as they did in the 1800s. Note: be sure to pack some extra loot, as many of these historical goods are available to purchase.
Ghostly activity
Fans of the supernatural will be delighted to learn about the fort’s resident ghosts and apparitions. Over the years, countless sightings have been reported by employees and guests, involving unexplained voices, footsteps, and even screams.
Foggy images have appeared mysteriously, too, in photographs taken in the fortification with its appropriately spooky-sounding name. A cat is said to have levitated – only to vanish without a trace. Scepticism aside, owners of furry felines (including myself) can attest unequivocally that such shenanigans are well within the realm of possibility.
Though the site is best known for the War of 1812, Fort Erie became a major crossing-point into Canada for enslaved freedom-seekers before and during the American Civil War. Also, a brigade of Irish Fenians used the ruins of the fort as a base in 1866 for one of their raids into Canada. These insurgencies encouraged the move toward Confederation, leading Canada to become a nation in 1867.
The arrival of the 20th century saw the derelict grounds used as a park and picnic area by local families. Then, in 1937, reconstruction began on the fort, which was sponsored by the provincial and federal governments and the Niagara Parks Commission. After a complete restoration, Fort Erie officially reopened on 1 July 1939.
Nearly a half-century later, an unexpected discovery made headlines in 1987, while new homes were being constructed near the fort on Lakeshore Road. Archaeologists eventually unearthed 28 skeletons that had been buried around the time of the Niagara Campaign. In an act of bilateral cooperation, the Canadian and US governments worked together to fund excavation of the fallen American soldiers.
Their remains were repatriated to the United States, crossing the Peace Bridge to be buried with full military honours at Bath National Cemetery in western New York State.
Old Fort Erie
Open May-october, 10am-5pm daily (CA$14 adult)
Lakeshore Rd, Fort Erie, ON L2A 1B1, Canada
+1 905 871 0540
www.niagaraparks.com/visit/heritage/old-fort-erie
MHM visits…
EXHIBITIONS
War and the Mind
Until 27 April 2025
Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HZ
http://www.iwm.org.uk/events/war-and-the-mind
Free admission
How do people think, feel, and act, during wartime? How do they make sense of the devastating conflicts that reshape their entire lives? This new exhibition at the IWM’s London branch looks at how exhausted populations are encouraged to endure war’s hardships.
Cyprus – a divided island
Until 31 January 2025
Canadian War Museum, 1 Vimy Place, Ottawa, ON K1A 0M8, Canada
http://www.warmuseum.ca/event/cyprus-divided-island
Admission CA$21 (adult)
To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the UN peacekeeping mission to the Mediterranean island of Cyprus, this exhibition marks the vital contribution of the more than 30,000 Canadian troops who served there from 1964 to 1993 – one of the longest missions of its kind in the country’s history.
GALLERY
Europe and the Thirty Years War
Until 12 January 2025
House of European History, Belliardstraat 135, 1000 Brussels, Belgium
https://historia.europa.eu/en/exhibitions-events/temporary exhibitions/bellum-artes
Free admission
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648)was a particularly brutal period in European history, with widespread violence, upheaval, and misery. This gallery explores the war through the lens of the arts – focusing on how art was used as a propaganda tool by the warring parties, and why artists themselves became ambassadors for peace.
