Prescott, Iroquois, Battle of the Windmill and the Blue Church – Exploring the St. Lawrence Seaway
Possibly the most important commercial waterway the American continent, after the Panama canal of course! The seaway stretches its tentacles from the Great Lakes through the mighty St. Lawrence seaway to the Atlantic Ocean. In this post we explore a small stretch of this river ranging from the town of Prescott to the west and Iroquois to the West
Table of Contents
- Johnstown Crossing (Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge)
- Iroquois
- Prescott
- Other Attractions Nearby
Johnstown Crossing (Ogdensburg-Prescott International Bridge)
Strangely enough, my day began by running down a Kijiji ad for skies in the tiny town of Cardinal located on the St. Lawrence. I figured since I was in the area, I might do a swoop down to Brockville (a regular favorite) for lunch. While I was out it I figured I could make a few stops along the way the first being Johsnstown where the 416 from Ottawa crosses over to the USA. From here I could turn north east towards the town of Iroquois. From the waterfront I took the time to admire the international bridge.
Iroquois
After picking up the ski’s, I figured I should take the time to look around the town of Iroquoi itself. Driving to the waterfront you will find an old stone house referred to as the Carman House Museum. Today is serves as a local history museum.
Next up along the river itself is a set of small locks.
The small waterway will give you a view of the Iroquois dam on the St. Lawrence river
If you continue on Roadway 1, heading to Iroquois island, you will find a public viewpoint at the Iroquois Locks Gauging Station. From here one can admire tankers as they pass though the seaway, in the distance you can see the Iroquois Dam. If you are hungry, there is a chip truck nearby as this a popular stop off stop for locals.
Lock 27 (Additional Stop)
If you wish to check out another one of the St. Lawrence locks, I recommend lock 21. Here you will find the shipwrecked hull of the Wee Hawk, a popular diving spot.
Prescott
The tiny town of Prescott lies to the west of the international bridge. Here you will find many historical remnants of a distant past, where the border was a place of international friction rather then trade.
Battle of the Windmill National Historic Site
Just east of Prescott, you will find the towns most celebrated historic site, that of the Battle of the windmill. Of course the mill will easily catch you eye from a distance.
On site you will find a plaque commemorating the 1838 battle against an uprising up unruly locals trying to end british rule. They were dispatched by a contingent of men from nearby fort wellington.
The highlight of course is the old stone windmill, converted to a lighthouse. The building itself did see action during the Battle of the Windmill. Many of the Patriots (Canadian Rebels) had fled to the Northern United States after their defeat at York in 1837. Where they found American support. They organized into a group called the the Hunters Patriots. After a failed landing at Prescott, they landed at the Windmill site which was part of a village called Newport. They were engaged by the British and Canadian regulars and were quickly driven back into the windmill itself, yet the brutish artillery could not pierce the thick mill walls. With no promise of reinforcements and the local population supporting the British, the rebels had made a terrible miscalculation- they surrendered. The survivors were taken to Fort Henry in Kingston, where they were tried for treason and their leaders hung or exiled to Australia.
From the windmill, a path will take you down to the St. Lawrence River.
Fort Wellington
Driving into town from the Battle of the Windmill site, you will approach Fort Wellington. The land it is built on belonged to a certain Major Edward Jessup, this man was a prominent Loyalist from Connecticut and would be the one who wound found the city Prescott in 1784. The fort was constructed in the early stages of the War of 1812 and rebuilt during the 1838 rebellion. The first variation of the fort included earthworks and a wooden palisade & buildings while a more complete stone blockhouse structure was built in these earthworks during the second renovation. The fort saw use until 1863 when it then became a home to a local militia group and finally part of the parks Canada system.
Once you cross into the fort itself you will be able to immerse yourself in the forts rich history. It was never attacked during the war of 1812 but did dissuade possible attack on the town. It is from here that British troops fired cannons upon Ogdensburg across the river, harassing ships on the St. Lawrence and even storming the previously mentioned city when the ice froze for the winter in 1813 (in revenge for American raids on nearby Brockville and Gananoque). A particularly important moment in the history is when the Americans sailed down St. Lawrence River in an attempt to capture Montreal yet fearing the powerful Fort Wellington’s guns, that the American general disembarked his troops in Ogdensburg so that they may not be sunk with the fleet. The Americans would re-embark their ships downstream and would fight at the Battle of Crysler’s Farm, where they would loose (for more info on the Chrysler Farm memorial at Upper Canada Village, click here).
In 1838 the Fort repelled a failed Hunter’s Landing at Prescott, before they would drift downriver to the Windmill where the Battle of the windmill would take place. For such a simple fortification, Fort Wellington has sure seen a lot of action.
Town of Prescott
From the fort, a grassy park will offer you a view of Ogdensburg across the river as well as a ruined wood jetty of the old port.
The new marina has been rebuilt just west of that location. The new location is a favorite of pleasure boaters and it is easy to find parking here. A visitors parking has been erected and can be used to walk into town.
At the head of the marina you will find the Prescott Lighthouse & Visitor Center.
Before we continue, here is a quick history of the area. It was once the home of the St. Lawrence Iroquois before becoming part of the French Sphere of influence controlled from Fort de La Présentation built in 1749 in Ogdensburg, across the river and later in Fort Levis built on a nearby island in the St. Lawrence . The french were displaced in 1760 during the Battle of the Thousand Islands. This action was part of the 1754−1763 French and Indian War (An US name for the North American theater of the 7 years war). The area began to be settled by British subject after this point, including United Empire Loyalists led by Edward Jessup, the founder of Prescott. Losers of the American Revolutionary war, many then served the crown in Upper Canada during the War of 1812. Early in the war, Oldenburg fell to the Americans early in the war which led to the completion of Fort Wellington.
The city itself came about in 1810 and was named after the British General Robert Prescott. By the 19th century its harbor had become an important shipping port for Upper Canada. In later years it strongly benefited from the construction of Canadian Railway, a boom that ended in a crash during the Great Depression. The construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1954, flooded large parts of the river. Unfortunately Fort Levis was submerged during the construction phase as well as many villages commemorated at Upper Canada Village.
Today the scenic main street may remind the visitor of a wealth that once existed in Prescott
Monuments of note in the small city include St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, St. Mark the Evangelist Church, the County Registry’s office as well as many beautiful homes. Despite the small size of the settlement, there is much to appreciate about Prescott’s historic core.
Other Attractions Nearby
The Blue Church
If you are in the area, be sure to stop off at the Blue Church East of town! This lovely church is one of the most unique in this part of Canada. Located at the intersection of Roadway 2 and Blue Church Road, it is located on a plot of land overlooking the mighty St. Lawrence River. This building is host to a unique designation, that accompanying the one of the oldest functioning cemeteries in Ontario, dating from sometime in the 1780’s.
The distinctive blue structure stands amidst this cemetery. Among the buried is Barbara Heck, the founder of Methodism in Upper Canada (1804).
The structure you see today was constructed in 1845, replacing a previous structure erected on the site that was lost to a fire.
Honestly, just feel free to roam around the site. It is a pretty place and I had a quick supper here as the sun was setting.
