Merrickville – The Rideau Canal’s Most Beautiful Town
An old Loyalist settlement on the historic Rideau waterway, Merrickville gives the impression of a town frozen in time. The quaint main street sports stone buildings that have scant changed in appearance since they were erected sometime after the towns founding by William Merrick in 1794. It is this charm that attracts so many to the town today!
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Exploring Merrickville
Although small, this corner of the world has a lot to offer those willing to spend a day exploring it! The town is built on the south side of the Rideau River along the locks themselves. In the center of the river you will find an island where the Merrickville ruins lie today.
Downtown Merrickville
When William Merrick arrived from Springfield, Massachusetts this was an empty corner of Eastern Ontario. Mr. Merrick was an industrious man and in this part of the river he saw the potential to harness its waterpower. At first he constructed a dam across the river, before building a grist mill (floor), a sawmill and carding mills. It was not long before a community sprang up around the milling activity. Years later, in 1821, Mr. Merrick built a stone house overlooking his mills. Unfortunately this house no longer exists but you can read about it here.
The town itself really took off 1827 when work crews constructing the RIdeau Canal filled the town. The construction of the canal fuelled an industrial boom along the Rideau that lasted into the 1860’s when the canal lost its importance as a commercial waterway. After this era, nearby Smith Falls became the leading industrial hub due to its connection to a new technology, the railway! All this to say that Merrick’s Mills was once an impressive industrial site. The towns historic stone buildings are a testament to this.
The most imposing cluster of buildings can be found at the intersection of Main and St Lawrence Street. It is here that you will find the historic Baldachin Inn, built in the 1860 it was once the largest department store located between the cities of Chicago and Montreal. It was built by Harry MacLean, a man known for designing the G suit for pilots and whom the ground floor pub, known for its fine European cuisine, is now named after. Today the complex includes the pub, rooms, a ballroom and the inn visitor rooms and can be a great place to stay. The ballroom is 6000 sq/ft (approx. 550 sq/m) and is built around 15 ft (5m) high stone walls. The room is remarkable for its unusual style, the King’s Post Truss system. This style only found in one other building still used in Chicago, which eliminates the need for ceiling supports! Other buildings of note include the Stella Luna Gelato Cafe house in the stone built St. Anne’s church. Businesses can be found along Main Street (paralleled to the locks) but the perpendicular St. Lawrence Street is the rail main street. Here you can find plenty of adorable shops housed in old stone and masonry buildings. Merrickville has more than 100 heritage properties, so feast your eye!
Merrickville Ruins
Located on an island (Pig Island!) between the lock station and the mainland, the Merrickville ruins offer an insight on the industrial development of the town. It is said that at one time, Merrickville boasted more than 50 water-powered industries, something that may seem hard to believe now.
The center of this industry was based on the island and it remains my favourite part of the village! In the island you will find the ruins of a mill from the mid 19th century (approx 1848) as well as the remnants of some equipment.
The island is also home to the the Merickville generating station.
The Marina
On the north side of the Rideau River you will find the towns marina. There is little of interest to find here with the exception of a beautiful old stone building.
Merrickville Lockstation
Just north the main street, you will find the Merrickville Lockstation. The lower section contains the most impressive stretch of canal as well as a lock-masters house. The upper section contains the blockhouse mentioned below.
Merrickville Blockhouse
On the upper locks you will find a 1832 blockhouse, constructed as part of a defensive network meant to help defend/deter americium aggression along the Rideau corridor. The young country of Canada was not far removed from the war of 1812 and the spectre of invasion still loomed large. The rectangular building built by Lieutenant-Colonel John By, one of four on the Canal (including the nearby Upper Narrows). This is the largest of the blockhouses and was designed to accommodate 50 men. At different times it served as a lockmaster’s residence and storehouse. This defensive structure was occupied briefly by troops during the 1837-38 Rebellion but fell out of use in later years.
The Aaron Merrick House
Located just south of the city as St. Lawrence street this two and a half storey mansion is one of the many heritage buildings in the region. Built in 1845 by the English stone mason and carpenter Samuel Langford, it is worth a peak. Samuel was a worker on the the Rideau Canal, he later became Merrickville’s best known builder.
McGuigan Cemetery and Rideau Canal Lock 18, 19 & 20 (Lower and Upper Nicholsons & Clowes Lock)
If you follow the Rideau north of the town, you will find a collection of three locks, the Lower, Upper Nichelsons and Clowes Locks. Not far from them is the McGuigan Cemetery, where many workers that had built the canal are buried. Many in unmarked graves after they fell from disease including the likes of Malaria.
