The Barracks Inn just one of the many historic buildings found in Ancaster

December 2021

Ancaster, Ontario, is a historic town in the Golden Horseshoe area of southern Ontario; a town that dates back to the early years of British North America. Founded in 1793, just two years after the establishment of the Province of Upper Canada, now the Province of Ontario, Ancaster was given its name by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe.

The town would go on to become Upper Canada’s largest industrial and commercial centre, partly because of its easily accessible water power and location at the juncture of prehistoric indigenous trading routes.

Several historic buildings are scattered throughout the town, some almost as old as the town itself. The oldest building in Ancaster is the Tisdale house at 314 Wilson Street, which was built around 1806, and currently houses the Hamilton Police Museum.

One of the town’s historic buildings, in which you can actually spend a night or two, is The Barracks Inn, a luxury boutique hotel. Although technically not the original building, the stone building been standing on what’s now known as Wilson Avenue East since the middle 1800s.

The original structure is believed to have been built as a barracks in 1812, for British soldiers fighting in the War of 1812, although the Ancaster Township Historical Society has been unable to conclusively confirm this fact.

The original building was used as a drug store between 1835 and 1868 when it burned down. It’s believed that the current building was built from the ruins of the old one. A more modern addition on the back once housed an auto body shop and a tool and die making business.

Guests of the Barracks Inn can stay in a variety of luxury suites, such as the Royal Suite, the Officer Suite or the Mason Suite. The Inn also hosts corporate meetings and weddings/banquets in their special events rooms.

Sources: https://www.thebarracksinn.com, Historic inn planned for 1812 Barracks | HamiltonNews.com, Ancaster History | Ancaster.