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DURHAM'S MOST HAUNTED
About the creation of The Workers Arts and Heritage Centre
In the spring of 1995, the Ontario Workers Arts and Heritage Centre
(now the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre) was able to purchase the
historic Custom House on Stuart Street in the North End of Hamilton.
The building is ideally situated in the heart of a working-class
community, and has its own interesting history. The Custom House is
one of the oldest remaining "federal" public buildings in Canada. Its
style and construction reflect the rise of Hamilton as a major railway
and Great Lakes port. It is often cited as "one of Hamilton's foremost
architectural landmarks".
The Hamilton Custom House (1858-60) is an excellent example of
Italianate architecture in Canada. It was designed by Frederick J.
Patrick and F.P. RubridgeinspirationRusticated base and smooth upper
storey, the building drew its inspiration from the Renaissance palaces of
Rome and Florence. The classical detailing and stonework are
exceptionally fine. The Italianate influence was popular for commercial
architecture in Canada from the 1840's until the 1870's.
The Hamilton Custom House is a designated National Historic Site. A
commemorative plaque was unveiled on June 11, 1999 in the gardens of
the Custom House. In February 1998, Isabel Bassett, Ontario Minister of
Culture, Citizenship and Recreation, on behalf of the Ontario Heritage
Foundation, presented the Board of Directors and staff with a plaque
honouring the Custom House as a heritage easement site.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Workers Arts & Heritage Centre
A Brief History of the Custom House in Hamilton
1855 - 1860 - A Finely Crafted Building
1860 - 1887 - Public Servants at the Hub of Commerce
1887 - 1893 - The Patter of Little Feet
1860 - 1908 - The Custom House as a Home
1912 - 1979 - Factory Bells
1988 - 1996 - Rebirth of the Custom House
1855 through 1860 - A Finely Crafted Building [back to top]
In 1855, the Legislature authorised construction of a new Custom House
in Hamilton to handle the trade flowing through the Port of Hamilton and
along the new Great Railway line.
In 1858, teams of highly skilled stonecutter's, stonemasons, carpenters,
and other craft workers, along with plenty of day labourers, began work
on a building that the Hamilton Spectator called an ornament to the city
and a credit to the commerce of Canada.
In 1860, construction was completed and the Customs Department
moved into an elegant two-story structure.
1860 - 1887 - Public Servants at the Hub of Commerce [back to top]
From 1860 on, seventeen men started earning their wages in the
building as staff of the Customs Department. Most of them were
white-collar workers who dealt every day with the dozens of sailors,
longshoremen, railway men, and teamsters delivering and picking up
goods subject to duties. The caretaker and messenger of the Custom
House lived on the premises with his family.
In 1872, the Nine-Hours League in Hamilton organised a parade through
the city streets that passed by the front door of the Custom House. One
of the marchers was Alexander Wingfield, a Scottish-born railway-shop
worker and poet well known in the city for his verse and songs. He
penned a tribute to the marchers entitled "The Nine-Hour Pioneers". A
few years later he got a job in the Custom House.
In 1887, the Customs Department moved out.
1887 through 1893 - The Patter of Little Feet [back to top]
In 1887, The Hamilton Board of Education rented the building to help
meet the crisis of space for elementary schooling. The School Board set
up two classes in the building and used the backyard as a playground.
The next year, night classes opened in the Custom House for boys and
girls who had to work during the day.
In 1893, the Hamilton YWCA rented the building to open a North End
Branch. Girls can take classes in cooking, sewing, and housekeeping
from the upper-class women on the YWCA Board. Starting in 1903, they
could join a penny savings bank. The next year, the YWCA moved out,
and relocated farther along the street in the former Hamilton Street
Railway offices.
1860 through 1908 - The CUSTOM HOUSE as a Home
[back to top]
In 1860, the man who had been hired as caretaker and messenger at the
opening of the Custom House was able to move into the building with
his family. The son of one of these custodians later remembered having
to help out by emptying wastepaper baskets and shovelling snow. When
the Custom Department left the building, this family also moved out.
In 1887, when the School Board took over the Building, the janitor of the
Murray Street School (located right behind the Custom House) was given
a place to live in the building. He stayed for twenty years.
In 1908, the Associated Charities of Hamilton took over the Custom
House to provide accommodation for the homeless, especially recent
British immigrants. One man who was born in the building later recalled
that his parents lived there for a year. Years later, hobos who had been
riding the rails clambered up from the railway tracks to bed down for the
night in the basement of the Custom House. Through all these years,
rumours persist that a GHOST in the form of a DARK LADY also lives in
the basement.
1912 through 1979 - Factory Bells
[back to top]
In 1912, the Custom House stood empty and derelict - a leaking roof,
broken windows, gas and water torn out. When a fire destroyed the
three-story vinegar factory next door, its owner bought the Custom
House to carry on production. For a few more years vinegar was
manufactured in the building.
In 1915, the Wood house Invigorate Company and the American
Computing Company rented space in the building, apparently to
manufacture their products.
In 1917, the Ontario Yarn Company moved in. The next year it changed
its name to the Empire Wool Stock Company. The men and women
working here turned out woolen yarn for the city's many knitting mills.
In 1920, a fire broke out on the second floor of the building and
destroyed the roof and attic. In the rebuilding, a third floor was added
inside the original walls.
In the 1950's, the Empire Wool Stock Company closed, along with most
of the rest of the Hamilton textile industry.
In 1956, the Reio family opened the Naples Macaroni Company. The
workers in the factory were mostly women from the Italian immigrant
community living in the neighbourhood. The company also packed olives
in the basement, and rented space on the first floor to a doughnut
manufacturer.
In 1979, the Health Department closed the factory. The building again
sat empty and decaying for several years.
1988 through 1996 - Rebirth of the CUSTOM HOUSE [back to top]
In 1988, a martial arts academy opened in the building. The Provincial
Government poured $400,000 into renovations and restoration.
In 1992, the building was sold through power of sale to a computer
company, which declared bankruptcy a year later.
In 1995, the The Ontario Workers' Art and Heritage Centre bought the
building and held a one-day, pre-renovation opening to celebrate the long
working-class history of the building.
In 1996, The Ontario Workers' Custom House re-opened as an
interpretive centre for workers' history and culture.
In 2001, The Ontario Workers Arts and Heritage Centre is re-named the
Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, reflecting its widening scope and
mandate.
In the spring of 1995, the Ontario Workers Arts and Heritage Centre
(now the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre) was able to purchase the
historic Custom House on Stuart Street in the North End of Hamilton.
The building is ideally situated in the heart of a working-class
community, and has its own interesting history. The Custom House is
one of the oldest remaining "federal" public buildings in Canada. Its
style and construction reflect the rise of Hamilton as a major railway
and Great Lakes port. It is often cited as "one of Hamilton's foremost
architectural landmarks".
The Hamilton Custom House (1858-60) is an excellent example of
Italianate architecture in Canada. It was designed by Frederick J.
Patrick and F.P. RubridgeinspirationRusticated base and smooth upper
storey, the building drew its inspiration from the Renaissance palaces of
Rome and Florence. The classical detailing and stonework are
exceptionally fine. The Italianate influence was popular for commercial
architecture in Canada from the 1840's until the 1870's.
The Hamilton Custom House is a designated National Historic Site. A
commemorative plaque was unveiled on June 11, 1999 in the gardens of
the Custom House. In February 1998, Isabel Bassett, Ontario Minister of
Culture, Citizenship and Recreation, on behalf of the Ontario Heritage
Foundation, presented the Board of Directors and staff with a plaque
honouring the Custom House as a heritage easement site.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Workers Arts & Heritage Centre
A Brief History of the Custom House in Hamilton
1855 - 1860 - A Finely Crafted Building
1860 - 1887 - Public Servants at the Hub of Commerce
1887 - 1893 - The Patter of Little Feet
1860 - 1908 - The Custom House as a Home
1912 - 1979 - Factory Bells
1988 - 1996 - Rebirth of the Custom House
1855 through 1860 - A Finely Crafted Building [back to top]
In 1855, the Legislature authorised construction of a new Custom House
in Hamilton to handle the trade flowing through the Port of Hamilton and
along the new Great Railway line.
In 1858, teams of highly skilled stonecutter's, stonemasons, carpenters,
and other craft workers, along with plenty of day labourers, began work
on a building that the Hamilton Spectator called an ornament to the city
and a credit to the commerce of Canada.
In 1860, construction was completed and the Customs Department
moved into an elegant two-story structure.
1860 - 1887 - Public Servants at the Hub of Commerce [back to top]
From 1860 on, seventeen men started earning their wages in the
building as staff of the Customs Department. Most of them were
white-collar workers who dealt every day with the dozens of sailors,
longshoremen, railway men, and teamsters delivering and picking up
goods subject to duties. The caretaker and messenger of the Custom
House lived on the premises with his family.
In 1872, the Nine-Hours League in Hamilton organised a parade through
the city streets that passed by the front door of the Custom House. One
of the marchers was Alexander Wingfield, a Scottish-born railway-shop
worker and poet well known in the city for his verse and songs. He
penned a tribute to the marchers entitled "The Nine-Hour Pioneers". A
few years later he got a job in the Custom House.
In 1887, the Customs Department moved out.
1887 through 1893 - The Patter of Little Feet [back to top]
In 1887, The Hamilton Board of Education rented the building to help
meet the crisis of space for elementary schooling. The School Board set
up two classes in the building and used the backyard as a playground.
The next year, night classes opened in the Custom House for boys and
girls who had to work during the day.
In 1893, the Hamilton YWCA rented the building to open a North End
Branch. Girls can take classes in cooking, sewing, and housekeeping
from the upper-class women on the YWCA Board. Starting in 1903, they
could join a penny savings bank. The next year, the YWCA moved out,
and relocated farther along the street in the former Hamilton Street
Railway offices.
1860 through 1908 - The CUSTOM HOUSE as a Home
[back to top]
In 1860, the man who had been hired as caretaker and messenger at the
opening of the Custom House was able to move into the building with
his family. The son of one of these custodians later remembered having
to help out by emptying wastepaper baskets and shovelling snow. When
the Custom Department left the building, this family also moved out.
In 1887, when the School Board took over the Building, the janitor of the
Murray Street School (located right behind the Custom House) was given
a place to live in the building. He stayed for twenty years.
In 1908, the Associated Charities of Hamilton took over the Custom
House to provide accommodation for the homeless, especially recent
British immigrants. One man who was born in the building later recalled
that his parents lived there for a year. Years later, hobos who had been
riding the rails clambered up from the railway tracks to bed down for the
night in the basement of the Custom House. Through all these years,
rumours persist that a GHOST in the form of a DARK LADY also lives in
the basement.
1912 through 1979 - Factory Bells
[back to top]
In 1912, the Custom House stood empty and derelict - a leaking roof,
broken windows, gas and water torn out. When a fire destroyed the
three-story vinegar factory next door, its owner bought the Custom
House to carry on production. For a few more years vinegar was
manufactured in the building.
In 1915, the Wood house Invigorate Company and the American
Computing Company rented space in the building, apparently to
manufacture their products.
In 1917, the Ontario Yarn Company moved in. The next year it changed
its name to the Empire Wool Stock Company. The men and women
working here turned out woolen yarn for the city's many knitting mills.
In 1920, a fire broke out on the second floor of the building and
destroyed the roof and attic. In the rebuilding, a third floor was added
inside the original walls.
In the 1950's, the Empire Wool Stock Company closed, along with most
of the rest of the Hamilton textile industry.
In 1956, the Reio family opened the Naples Macaroni Company. The
workers in the factory were mostly women from the Italian immigrant
community living in the neighbourhood. The company also packed olives
in the basement, and rented space on the first floor to a doughnut
manufacturer.
In 1979, the Health Department closed the factory. The building again
sat empty and decaying for several years.
1988 through 1996 - Rebirth of the CUSTOM HOUSE [back to top]
In 1988, a martial arts academy opened in the building. The Provincial
Government poured $400,000 into renovations and restoration.
In 1992, the building was sold through power of sale to a computer
company, which declared bankruptcy a year later.
In 1995, the The Ontario Workers' Art and Heritage Centre bought the
building and held a one-day, pre-renovation opening to celebrate the long
working-class history of the building.
In 1996, The Ontario Workers' Custom House re-opened as an
interpretive centre for workers' history and culture.
In 2001, The Ontario Workers Arts and Heritage Centre is re-named the
Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, reflecting its widening scope and
mandate.
WELCOME TO CUSTOM HOUSE
My team member, Lori, and I had the privilege of going on a tour of Custom House in Hamilton put on by Haunted Hamilton. The
experiences that we had were strange to say the least. While standing in front of the Custom house, I suddenly had severe abdominal
pain. When we were able to enter the building I asked if there had been a lady that was pregnant and lost a baby. I knew nothing about
the history. She replied, yes actually she was pregnant and lost the baby, she was murdered. As the evening progressed, I went
downstairs to use the washroom. Going down a long dark hallway very dimly lit. Lori had been down their earlier and said she didn't like
it down there, felt like something was watching her. When I opened the ladies room door, I notice a door going into what seemed to be a
utility closet open. I payed no mind to it. While in the washroom I noticed a dark shadow move in front of me. I immediately told it to
leave. With that, the closet door slammed shut and swung open again. I left the room and proceeded up the hallway where I ascended
to the steel staircase. While walking up the stair case I had the feeling that i was not alone. Then all of a sudden I got felt dizzy and
light headed. Thank goodness I was holding on to the steel railing at the time. I continued up the stairs.
A while later, we ended up in the basement. In a crowd full of people I could see this little boy with light brown hair, around 5 years old
start walking up to me. My E.M.F. K11 (electro magnetic meter) was going off like crazy. I put my hand out to the little boy and he
grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. He followed me only as far as the exit of the doorway and let my hand go. I felt so sad for him
and the others that are stuck downstairs.
You will see pictures taken of a real ghost. Not a picture or paining, but a real ghost that I caught and has been verified by Lori. There
is no trick photography. I am still investigating who he is.
My team member, Lori, and I had the privilege of going on a tour of Custom House in Hamilton put on by Haunted Hamilton. The
experiences that we had were strange to say the least. While standing in front of the Custom house, I suddenly had severe abdominal
pain. When we were able to enter the building I asked if there had been a lady that was pregnant and lost a baby. I knew nothing about
the history. She replied, yes actually she was pregnant and lost the baby, she was murdered. As the evening progressed, I went
downstairs to use the washroom. Going down a long dark hallway very dimly lit. Lori had been down their earlier and said she didn't like
it down there, felt like something was watching her. When I opened the ladies room door, I notice a door going into what seemed to be a
utility closet open. I payed no mind to it. While in the washroom I noticed a dark shadow move in front of me. I immediately told it to
leave. With that, the closet door slammed shut and swung open again. I left the room and proceeded up the hallway where I ascended
to the steel staircase. While walking up the stair case I had the feeling that i was not alone. Then all of a sudden I got felt dizzy and
light headed. Thank goodness I was holding on to the steel railing at the time. I continued up the stairs.
A while later, we ended up in the basement. In a crowd full of people I could see this little boy with light brown hair, around 5 years old
start walking up to me. My E.M.F. K11 (electro magnetic meter) was going off like crazy. I put my hand out to the little boy and he
grabbed my hand and squeezed it tight. He followed me only as far as the exit of the doorway and let my hand go. I felt so sad for him
and the others that are stuck downstairs.
You will see pictures taken of a real ghost. Not a picture or paining, but a real ghost that I caught and has been verified by Lori. There
is no trick photography. I am still investigating who he is.
THE HISTORY OF CUSTOM
HOUSE
HOUSE
Notice the ghost of a young lady on the Right, beside the violin player. Is she the black lady?
The same lady, different picture.
Copy right protected 2010 Durham's Most Haunted
Notice the colour of her face, and how large her head is.
Copy right protected 2010 Durham's Most Haunted.
