Menu     Home News Awards Email A to M     Stats     Bookmark     Click HERE to Bookmark Haunted Ontario Halloween     Fort Erie       Fort Erie 350 Lakeshore Rd Built: 1600s Haunted: unknown History The original Fort Erie was actually built by the French in the 1600s. In 1763, after the Seven Years War, the British took control and built their own fort on the site. This fort was actually located on the river’s edge, below the present reconstruction. Winter storms off the lake posed a problem for the British so, in 1803, construction was begun on a new Fort Erie was built on the heights above. The new fort was unfinished the war of 1812 began. In 1813, the fort was temporarily occupied by the US. The British regained control later that year and construction began anew. In 1814, US forces captured the fort again. In December of that year, the Americans destroyed the fort and withdrew to Buffalo, leaving Fort Erie the bloodiest battlefield in the history of Canada. The British continued to occupy the ruined fort until 1823, when stones from the fort were used to build St. Paul’s Anglican Church (3 km north of the fort). In 1866, a Brigade of Irish Republicans used the ruins of the fort as a base for their raid into Ontario. In 1937 reconstruction of the fort began, with the park officially opening in July 1939. Hauntings The fort is home to several apparitions, including those of a headless soldier and a soldier with no hands. The journal of a young drummer boy, backed up with evidence from a late 20th century archeological excavatation, tells the tale of these apparitions. Apparently, during the final US occupation of the fort, American Sergeant Benjamin White was having his heavy beard shaved by a young Corporal when a British 24-pound canonball descended upon them. The canon ball severed the Corporal's hands and the Seargent's head. Other apparitions include that of a gentleman in a top-hat; a woman in the bunkhouse; a soldier in the mess hall; and an American soldier in the North corner of the fort. Sheets on an antique bed within the fort are often found in dissaray, with pillows found tossed on the floor. Further Reading Old Fort Erie Cheryl Clock, "Haunted Niagara," St. Catharines Standard October 30, 2000 Kevin Harding, "Battlefield Haunts," Niagara Falls Review October 26, 2000 Don Fraser, "Reporter still skeptical after harrowing night," St. Catharines Standard October 30, 1999 McAfee Cemetery Thompson Rd. Built: 1819 Haunted: since 1933 History McAfee Cemetery was founded 1819 by a Society of Methodists. The cemetery is named after Samuel McAfee, an accomplice in William Lyon Mackenzie's rebellion, who is buried in the cemetery. A church/chapel on the site was struck by lightning and burned to the ground in the 1930s. Hauntings The first reports of unusual activity within the cemetery date back to the early 1900s, and were actually chronicled in the local newspaper. Farmers in the area reported seeing phosphorescent lights or fireballs, along with the apparition of a grisly spectre with a glowing lantern. Further Reading Kevin Harding, "Ghosts of Niagara's Shore," Niagara Falls Review October 27, 2000 Richard Douglas, "Reports of ghostly haunts nothing new to Fort Erie," Niagara Falls Review October 31, 1992 Ab Ray, "Restoration of Old Cemetery Recalls McAfee Ghost Legend," Niagara Falls Review October 27, 1954 "Cemetery Tale Being Revived," Niagara Falls Review June 10, 1933 Mahoney Dollhouse Gallery 657 Niagara Boulevard Built: 1835 Haunted: unknown History Originally know as Bertie Hall, the museum was built in 1835. The basement extends deep into the bedrock and is said to contain a tunnel used by the underground railroad for smuggling slaves out of the US. The tunnel is a bit of a mystery, but one with a tragic history. A young slave, escaping from the US, is said to have drowned when the rising tide flooded the tunnel. The youngest son of Captain Forsythe, who owned the building in the late 1800s, also drowned inside the tunnel. After that, Captain Forsythe bricked up the tunnel entrance. To this day, no one has discovered where the opening may be. Hauntings While it is the basement that witnessed such tragedy in the late 1800s, strange occurences are actually more common on the upper floors. Most spectacularly, a pink dollhouse on 2nd floor found moved 3 feet overnight. Sitting on the couch of that pink dollhouse is a tiny, replica ouija board. The apparition of a woman has been known to stand on the main stairs, usually holding a basket of flowers. This may explain the smell of lilacs that comes and goes for no reason. Sounds of knocking have been heard coming from inside filing cabinets. Further Reading Mildred M. Mahoney Dolls' House Gallery Cheryl Clock, "Haunted Niagara," St. Catharines Standard October 30, 2000 Kevin Harding, "Ghosts of Niagara's Shore," Niagara Falls Review October 27, 2000 Tony Ricciuto, "When something's strange in your neighbourhood: Ghostbusters," Niagara Falls Review October 30, 1993 Links     Message Board Books Halloween Links N to Z     About Us     Haunted Ontario was first launched July 27th, 2000.