A royal beginning for battlefield monument
Queen Mary unveils monument to the Battle of Stoney Creek by transatlantic cable from London
The Wentworth Historical Society began discussions in the 1890s about building a memorial to casualties of the Battle of Stoney Creek.
But, the Women’s Committee and the men of the society could not agree on a site. The Women’s Committee subsequently broke away, forming the Women’s Wentworth Historical Society (WWHS) in 1899. They raised the funds to purchase the house and erect a monument, which was formally opened on June 6, 1913, when Queen Mary pushed a button in England, telegraphically unveiling the monument.
Battlefield House was one of the first museums in Canada. Later, the lands around the house were also acquired. When Battlefield Monument was unveiled in 1913, it became one of the most significant memorials to the War of 1812. The National Historic Sites and Monuments Board acknowledges that, “The Stoney Creek monument is by far the most impressive of the contemporary monuments erected to commemorate a battle of the War of 1812 and is arguably the most successful monument to address the broader loyalist theme as understood at the end of the century.”
Timeline
Fall of 1895: Women started fundraising to build a museum. One weeklong event called the Military Encampment in the Hamilton Drill Hall brought out large crowds and raised $1,000.
1899: Women’s Wentworth Historical Society was formed under the leadership of Sara Calder. Through their organizing and fundraising drives, the women would partly rebuild and refurbish Gage House.
In 1899: The Battlefield House Museum and the surrounding park were opened to the public.
1899: The Women’s Wentworth Historical Society corresponded with the federal minister responsible for monuments about building the Battlefield Monument.
1900: The architectural firm of F.J. Rastrick and Sons submitted a design for a monument to cost $18,715.
1908: The federal government granted $5,000 to the WWHS toward the monument.
1911: Construction delays resulted over problems securing government funding.
1912: The Department of Militia and Defence guaranteed additional funds.
June 6, 1913: The centennial of the Battle of Stoney Creek saw the monument unveiled by Queen Mary in England by means of a transatlantic cable. There were 15,000 people in attendance.
1962: Battlefield House and Park were taken over by the Niagara Parks Commission.
1988: The City of Stoney Creek assumed responsibility for the property.
1993: Extensive restoration work was completed on the monument, including the reconstruction of the building fabric, masonry repairs and repointing, window restoration and the disassembly and reconstruction of sections of the tower.