Rough Time Line
(to the best of our knowledge, help us fill in the holes and be true)
Up to 1534 or so
Native Peoples (Algonquin, Iroquois…)
1534-1755
Jacques Cartier
French Voyageurs – Fur Trading with natives
Pipe stop
Montreal to Great Lakes
1756-1760 (subset of 1756-1763 Seven Year British-French War)
1758-1760
French Shipbuilding Fort (exact site unknown)
Built 2 ships Outaouaise and Iroquoise launched in 1760
Aug 17, 1759, General Amherst rallied British troops in Bay of Pointe au Baril and defeated the French.
1760-1776
Dormant
1776-1783
British had shipbuilding site through American War of Independence
1777 launched Seneca
1783
Survey by Gov. Haldimand & Joseph Brant in anticipation of Empire Loyalist Settlement
United Empire Loyalists
Those remaining loyal to the King were stripped of property in New York etc., killed, exiled.
South Side of St Lawrence was in kept under British control during the war, but handed over in settlement terms ending the war of Independence.
1784
Townships 6,7,8 New Oswegatchie
First Land Allocation – For Loyalist soldiers & their families,
Major Edward Jessup’s Loyal Rangers “Jessup’s Rangers”
Captain John Jones one of 9 Captains in ”Queen’s Loyal Rangers” – 1000 Acres, including Pointe au Baril
American Loyalists Fighters for the King
War of 1812
American Invasion rebuffed
Inhereted by sons David Dunham Jones and Augustus Jones
1818
sold to William Wells - Pointe au Baril + other surrounding property
1826
William Wells (father of Ruth Wells – wife of George Longley) gifts the Pointe and surrounding property to Longleys
Ziba Phillips & Longley are considered founders of Maitland
1828
Longley builds stone Windmill
1837
Windmill power insufficient, and at same time steam power arrives.
Longley imports first steam engine 30hp from England
Large building built between Tower and Water to house grist mill
Windmill converted to Silo
Large Wharf built to accommodate large boats to bring grain to mill, and take flour up St Lawrence to Montreal and England
Longley Mill becomes one of largest flour mill in Upper Canada (the largest by some accounts)
1842
Longley Dies
Widow keeps mill running
1845-46
Erie Canal opens and British corn tariff dropped to address Irish famine, resulting in diversion of grain down through NY.
1845
Grand Trunk Railway built Montreal-Sarnia with stop in Maitland
1854
Mill closes
1863
Borst and Halladay buy the Mill and convert it to distillery (common conversion…)
Quickly becomes #2 distillery in Upper Canada behind Toronto Gooderman & Worts
1865
Closed down by Revenue Canada for “irregularities”…
Prosecutor for the crown future first Prime Minister John A. MacDonald
Court case shows roughly 50% bootlegged (have PDF of proceedings), to US by boat and Quebec via Train.
1867
MacDonald becomes Prime Minister & is petitioned to settle the case
1868 –
Auctioned to Daniel Vanvalkenburg
Distillery reopened for a few years
1873
Closes –business fails, Land reverts to Longley Estate
1873-1909
Dormant
1909
Many old Pointe buildings from Distillery bays demolished, including chimney.
1919
Bought by Dr. Robert Webster
Still family – sonnlaw of Mrs Chillion Jones, sister of RJ Hervey, soninlaw of George Canning Longley (son of George Longley)
Tower repairs
Roof on stone building “Chart House” next to tower
1920s – Webster Stables
Mrs Webster raises thoroughbreds, buys stallion Synorix, son of Tetrarch, belonging to Aga Khan. “Going Up” Champion Jumping Horse in Canada
Wins at Blue Bonnets, Prince of Wales Plate
Raised Wired-Haired Fox Terriers that won several events
1936-1973
Peter Webster, one of sons of Dr Webster, is inventor & entrepreneur, and founds Maitland Charts – run out of one of original Longley buildings, “Chart House”,
Roll charts, sonar paper for Navy
35 employees, some buildings added, but bulldozed when closed in 1973
1973-2016
Katherine MacGregor, grand-daughter of Peter Webster
Ran an antique shop out of the Chart House for several Years
Oct 2016
A new chapter begins….Purchased by Slowtime Ventures. Interestingly, the owners Philip Ling & Linda Frenette-Ling have roots that reflect the history of the property. Philip has the loyalist roots, born in England, emigrating with his parents and brother to Montreal Canada in 1963, with Quebec French history and language from French elementary school. Linda has the French roots, with her Acadian parents from Petit Rocher in New Brunswick.
Slowtime’s mission is a bold and transformational one: It is to ensure that the rich history of the past 200 years is not lost, by "Leading while Remembering". We feel the key is to honor the past while creating a new and relevant commercial purpose - for today and for the future. In this way, this amazing place that started as Pointe-au-Baril so long ago, with an iconic tower, can lead the way for the next 200 years.
We will work with other like-minded people and organizations to make this vision a reality.
To achieve this, the first step is to show that old buildings can be restored in a way that they can meet or exceed the highest green building standards, embedding the latest renewable technologies, and restored in a way that provides the broadest range of potential commercial uses in the present and adaptability for the future.
2017
An exciting transformation is has begun - during the spring and summer of 2017 restoration of the former Maitland Charts Building "The Chart House". All the outside masonry was deep-cleaned and re-pointed not only for looks but for durability. Remember we are thinking the next 200 years.
Just before winter, several keystones in the tower were repaired.
Architect, Structural Engineer, and Project Manager have been hired and plans are well underway.
2018
Lots of exciting progress will be made - can't wait to share the journey.