The Merrickville Blockhouse

There are two plaques at this location.
Both can be seen on this page.

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted May, 2009

Plaque Location

The County of Leeds and Grenville
The Village of Merrickville-Wolford
At the blockhouse, on the northwest corner of
Road 43 and Road 15

Coordinates: N 44 54.973 W 75 50.228

Plaque Text

When construction of the Rideau Canal began, Merrickville was already an established village and was considered to be a logical target for an invader. Consequently Colonel John By urged strong measures for the protection of the lock station. The result was this blockhouse, built in 1832-33, the largest on the Rideau Canal and the second largest surviving in Canada. It still resembles its early description as "a good blockhouse, the basement and ground floor being of stone, and the upper storey of wood covered with tin, the whole surrounded by a ditch".

Photo by Alan L Brown - Posted July, 2005

Photo by contributor Raymond Rochon - Posted April, 2008

Plaque Text

This is one of four blockhouses which, with some twelve other 'defensible buildings', were constructed along the Rideau Canal. The canal, built 1826 - 32 by Lieutenant - Colonel John By, Royal Engineers, was designed to serve as an alternative military supply route from Montreal to Kingston in the event of war. The Merrickville blockhouse was completed in 1832 to accommodate some fifty men. It was never the scene of military action, but has served as lockmaster's quarters, a church and a canal maintenance building. Restoration of this fine example of early military architecture was completed in 1965, and it is one of the two remaining blockhouses on the canal which have retained their original forms.

Related Ontario plaque pages
Rideau Canal 1826-1832
Lieutenant-Colonel John By, R.E.

More
Information

More
Forts and Other Military Places

Here are the visitors' comments for this page.

Posted May 27, 2009
You need a bit more information on the blockhouse, but you have good pictures and pritty good information from what you have.

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