Description of Historic Place

The Octagonal Blockhouse is located at the Fort George National Historic Site of Canada, which overlooks the Niagara River, on the outskirts of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The Blockhouse is a polygonal roofed, eight sided, two-storey structure with a rugged, exposed log exterior that features loopholes and an overhanging second storey. A tunnel affords the only access to the structure. The Octagonal Blockhouse is situated within the palisades of the south redan. The designation is confined to the footprint of the building.

Heritage Value

The Octagonal Blockhouse is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental values.

Historical Value:
The Octagonal Blockhouse is a good example of a building associated with the development and expansion of historic sites in Canada during the 1930s Depression as a result of government funded relief work programs. Historic reconstruction, common to this period, followed a North American pattern influenced by the reconstruction of Colonial Williamsburg. Recognition that an increase in private ownership of automobiles would encourage tourism encouraged the reconstruction of Fort George as a tourist destination. The economic development of Niagara-on-the-Lake was facilitated as a result.

Architectural Value:
The Octagonal Blockhouse is valued for its good aesthetic design. Reconstructions were generally based on extensive research. However, the architects freely interpreted the information about Fort George. The rugged exterior of the reconstructed buildings represents the designer’s preference for a ‘frontier’ aesthetic. This may have been derived from the appearance of the contemporaneous blockhouses at Fort York, after their exterior cladding was removed during a 1934 ‘restoration’. Good use of traditional materials and very good craftsmanship are evident in the log construction.

Environmental Value:
The Octagonal Blockhouse reinforces the historic character of Fort George National Historic Site and is a familiar landmark to residents and to visitors.

Sources: Shannon Ricketts, Twenty Buildings, Niagara Historic Sites, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office, Building Report 89-015; The Octagonal Blockhouse, Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Heritage Character Statement 89-015.

Character-Defining Elements

The following character-defining elements of the Octagonal Blockhouse should be respected.

Its good aesthetic and good functional design and very good quality materials and craftsmanship, for example: the octagonal, two-storey massing; the polygonal roof clad with hand split cedar shakes; the exterior walls constructed of squared logs with dovetailed corners, and the loopholes; the interior configuration; the caponier / tunnel that provides access between the structure and the powder magazine pit.

The manner in which the Octagonal Blockhouse reinforces the historic character of the National Historic Site and is a familiar landmark, as evidenced by: its simple design and materials that harmonize with the other buildings within the military setting of the fort; its role as a component of the group of structures from the Fort George National Historic Site of Canada complex, and its high profile on the south redan, which make it familiar to locals and visitors.

Heritage Character Statement

Disclaimer - The heritage character statement was developed by FHBRO to explain the reasons for the designation of a federal heritage building and what it is about the building that makes it significant (the heritage character). It is a key reference document for anyone involved in planning interventions to federal heritage buildings and is used by FHBRO in their review of interventions.

The Octagonal Blockhouse was built in 1939, to designs by Toronto architects W.L. Somerville and Edward Carswell, as part of the reconstruction of Fort George. In the 1950s, a caponier (tunnel) was excavated to connect the blockhouse to the Powder Magazine pit. Repairs to the roof have also been undertaken. The Environment Canada Parks Service is the custodial department. See FHBRO Building Report 89-15.


Reasons For Designation

The Octagonal Blockhouse was designated Recognized because of its association with the 1930s philosophy of preservation and presentation of historic sites, its architectural qualities and use of traditional materials and techniques, and its contribution to the character of the fortification.

During the 1930s, historic sites in Canada were developed and expanded as a result of the provision of government funding for Depression relief works programs. The philosophy of historic reconstruction employed at a number of sites in this period followed a North American pattern influenced by the reconstruction of Colonial Williamsburg. A recognition that an increase in private ownership of automobiles would generate growth in tourism encouraged the reconstruction of Fort George as a tourist destination, thereby facilitating the economic development of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The architects tended to interpret freely the historical information about the original Fort George. The rugged exterior of the reconstructed buildings represents the designers' preference for a "frontier" aesthetic - possibly derived from the appearance of the Fort York blockhouses after their exterior cladding was removed during a 1934 "restoration."

The Octagonal Blockhouse, highly visible from outside the palisade, is a local landmark.


Character Defining Elements

The heritage character of this structure is defined by its "frontier" aesthetic, its functional design, its use of traditional materials and craftsmanship, and its contribution to the military character of the setting.

The Octagonal Blockhouse is a polygonal-roofed, eight-sided, two-storey structure. Its overhanging second storey, its loopholes and its sole access by means of a tunnel reflect the military nature of a blockhouse. The rugged exposed log exterior represents Somerville and Carswell's concept of a "frontier" aesthetic.

The use of traditional materials, methods, and tools in its construction - squared logs with a dovetailed corner treatment, and a hand-split cedar-shake roof finish - was part of the reconstruction philosophy of the 1930s. Logs were milled in a saw-pit on site, and broad-axes and adzes were used for finishing. Given its unusual shape, this building is a particularly good example of careful log-building craftsmanship. As the heritage character of the Octagonal Blockhouse resides in the use of traditional materials and construction, these elements should be preserved.

The Octagonal Blockhouse, in its highly visible location on the south redan, reinforces the military atmosphere of the fort, and is a local landmark.