The Ghostliest "Ghost Town" in Middlesex

Located on Napier Road in Adelaide-Metcalfe Township, the ghost town of Napier is a one-of-a-kind place. Nestled in the woods on the Sydenham River, Napier has a feeling of abandonment about it. It's undoubtedly Middlesex County's most romantic-looking vanished village. I've been here many times, somehow drawn to the place.

This area was first settled about 1829 by retired British military men. Among the most important of these was Captain Christopher Beer, who spent 14 years in the Royal Navy. In 1830, he received 800 acres of land in what is now Napier, where he built a two-storey log home and a large barn. In fact, 1835 was referred to by the locals as "the year Captain Beer's big barn was raised."* Most of the able-bodied men in the west end of the county assisted in its construction.

Another early settler here was Captain Robert Johnston, a Waterloo veteran who arrived with his family in 1832. Like many military men, he received land for his service. He wasn't the average settler, though; he arrived in the wilderness with bagpipes, a piano, 30 complete sets of military arms, and about £2,000.** Those sets of arms came in handy during the Rebellion of 1837; Johnston taught local women how to shoot so that they could defend themselves against attack while their husbands were away fighting the rebels. Not surprisingly, Johnston had the funds to build himself a large brick house with six chimneys on the east side of the future village site. Anglican church services were apparently first held in this home since it was large enough to hold a congregation.

One of the first public buildings constructed here was St. Mary's Anglican Church. The land for the church, on a hill north of the village, was donated by Charles Preston. The exact construction date varies with the source, but the church was completed around 1843. The oldest remaining church in Middlesex County, St. Mary's Chapel of Ease holds an annual Decoration Day Service in June. It's a day I try not to miss, since it's an opportunity to enter a primitive pioneer building that's usually closed. 

Attendees gather at St. Mary's Anglican Church, Napier, on June 28, 2026, for the annual service.

A cemetery surrounds the church. When Captain Christopher Beer died in 1871 at the age of 80, he was buried under a stone that reads "Anchored in the harbour of eternal rest." What more fitting tribute to a sea captain?

The grave of Captain Christopher Beer at St. Mary's, Napier.

In another corner lie the remains of Joe and Mary Wrinkle:

The original, now nearly illegible Wrinkle grave marker, next to a newer monument.

The replacement monument was recently added by Joe and Mary's descendants.

Joe was a fugitive slave from Louisiana who followed the Underground Railway to its ultimate destination, Canada. According to Napier resident Dana Bernier, who related Joe's story at this year's Decoration Day service, Joe was offered his white bride as partial payment for work on a local farm. According to a booklet entitled Napier Remembered, Joe worked on the Beer estate, and his wife was Mary McPhail of St. Thomas. When folks asked her why she married Joe, she replied, "His gracious manners and kindly ways took my fancy. The colour of his skin doesn't matter."*** I'd like to think Mary had some choice in her marriage. 

The array of signs at St. Mary's: the blue plaque unveiled by a descendant of Christopher Beer, a contribution from the Middlesex Historic Trail, and the 911 sign indicating 1418 Melwood Drive. 

Another early building here was a schoolhouse. The earliest school building was on the St. Mary's churchyard site, but, in 1866, a two-room school was built on Mary Street. The school building standing on Mary today, S. S. No. 3 Metcalfe, was built in 1900, the different brick colours suggesting it was built partially from the bricks of the earlier school. For a while, this building was a Women's Institute. By the way, according to this, the township would like someone to buy it. 

Metcalfe S. S. No. 3 is now boarded up. Note the Middlesex Heritage Trail sign on the entranceway.

Eventually, a bustling village developed here on the banks of the Sydenham. Johnston built a store and gristmill in 1838, importing millstones from Scotland that had to be hauled here by oxen from Port Stanley. Johnston also built a sawmill to harvest the black walnut trees in the neighbourhood. Not surprisingly, an early name for the community was Johnston's Mills. Later, it was known as Puffing Town from the sound of the steam engine at one of Johnston's mills. Apparently, it was one of the earliest, if not the earliest, steam engines in western Ontario. 

Later, after the Township of Metcalfe was created in 1840, the village was named Metcalfe. It was not until a post office opened here on November 6, 1851, that the village was named Napier. Where does the name originate? Well, it might have been named after Sir Charles Napier (1782-1853), British general during the Napoleonic Wars, or his brother William (1785-1860), another general, who wrote History of the War in the Peninsula. Perhaps some of the military men at Napier served under one or the other? 

In 1857, J. G. Sutherland moved to Napier, acquired the mills from Johnston, and built a new woollen mill. His enterprises dominated the community for many years. In fact, it was Sutherland who built the store known as the Napier House in 1872.

Napier House store is in poor condition as of spring 2026. 

Eventually, the Napier post office moved into the building above. Sutherland's son-in-law, W. S. Calvert, took over the store afterwards. Calvert eventually became a federal Member of Parliament. 

At its height in the 1860s, Napier's population may have been about 250. The community had merchants, inns, saloons, blacksmiths, and mills. This "capital" of Metcalfe Township had a map of its own in The Illustrated Historical Atlas of the County of Middlesex (1878):

So many streets and lots laid out! But whether all the lots were occupied is a matter of conjecture at this point. Most of the streets have reverted to bush. 

There were other churches here besides St. Mary's. A frame Methodist church was built on Clover Street in about 1860, but both the church and Clover Street are gone. A Presbyterian church was built in the south end of the village about 1864, but was replaced by another in 1887. The latter, St. Andrew's, still stands, but it appears to have closed.

When an organ was installed in the church above, staunch Presbyterians were horrified. One older man, who often slept through sermons, said he never had the same feeling of sanctity while sleeping in church after the organ was added. Another fellow claimed that "it would not be long before the devil would have a fiddle in there too." Sure enough, years later, a fiddle accompanied the choir.**** 

What happened to Napier? How did such a bustling community become the backwater of today? It's mainly the fault of the railroads. Both branches of the Great Western Railway (later the Grand Trunk and still later the CNR) bypassed Napier. The northern branch passed through Kerwood and the southern through Glencoe. Next, the CPR and the Michigan Central skipped the village. The people of Napier (what were they called ... Napierites?) expected to build a station on a hill south of the Napier House, but there was never any need. Much business was lost over the years as settlers moved to points along the railway. 

It's also been suggested that once the walnut trees were depleted, there was less work for the sawmills. But whatever the reason for Napier's decline, it didn't "go bust" overnight. Instead, it slowly faded during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The post office closed in 1915, and the village became part of R. R. 3, Strathroy. 

What else remains at Napier? Well, there's the Masonic Lodge next to St. Andrew's, a 1950s building replacing an earlier version declared unsafe:

Photograph and caption taken from the Middlesex Historic Trail sign at the Masonic Lodge.

This millstone from Sutherland's gristmill sits in front of the Masonic Lodge.

Today, there are numerous newer homes in the hamlet. I can't blame people for wanting to live in such a peaceful spot. Can a ghost town still be called a ghost town when it's grown in recent years? I think so. Napier is nothing like its 1800s heyday. 

On my last trip to Napier, I visited Dana and Nancy Bernier's unofficial Napier museum and archives in their garage. The collection could be archaeological (pottery, bottles, and other artifacts) as well as historical and archival (photographs of the Wrinkle family, news articles, etc.). Dana and Nancy also moved a local pioneer log cabin to their yard and restored it:

A pioneer cabin, rescued by Dana Bernier from a nearby baseball field where it was used as a concession stand.

*"Scorched Lodge Goat Mystery To Masons of Township of Metcalfe," London Free Press, January 30, 1932, p. 8.

** Napier Grist, Woolen Mills Aided Growth of Community," London Free Press, May 21, 1949, p. 31.

***Ruth Merrick, Napier Remembered: Memories of Metcalfe Township's Pioneer Community. Arva: The Medway Valley News, 1991. A quick look at ancestry.ca indicates that Joseph H. Wrinkle (1829-92) married Mary Sarah McPhail (1843-86) who came from St. Thomas. 

**** "Scorched," LFP, p. 8.

Save Beth Emmanuel Church

2022 photo

 A letter sent to London City Clerk's office last week:

Notice of Objection

RE: Request by Trustees of the London Congregation of the British Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada to Repeal the Heritage Designating By-law for the Property at 430 Grey Street (Beth Emmanuel British Methodist Episcopal Church).

I wish to voice my objection to the repeal of the heritage designation for the Beth Emmanuel Church located at 430 Grey Street, London.

As a general rule, when the owners of a building apply to have its heritage designation removed, it is because they wish to demolish the building. The demolition of this church would be a mistake for the City of London.

First, Beth Emmanuel Church dates to ca. 1868 and is one of Canada’s oldest “black churches.” The building has been a place of worship for London’s black community since its construction. Some of its first congregants escaped from slavery in the United States via the Underground Railroad.  Many of us are proud of the role our region played in providing a haven for the victims of American slavery. To allow this building to be demolished implies a lack of respect for its founders.

Currently, Beth Emmanuel is leased by a congregation of primarily African ethnicity. Arguably, the church still has important ties to London’s black community, which is as worthy of consideration today as it was in the nineteenth century. The SoHo neighbourhood is growing rapidly, with multi-storey towers either built or in the planning stages, so it is likely this congregation will grow.

Beth Emmanuel is also one of the most important landmark buildings in SoHo. Since the original Fugitive Slave Chapel has been preserved at Fanshawe Pioneer Village, it would be appropriate for its sister church to be saved in situ. Not all heritage buildings require moving to make way for “progress.”

While not the most important consideration, I would also point out that Beth Emmanuel is one of London’s traditional yellow brick buildings in the Gothic Revival style. The building’s name in stained glass over the front door is a charming aspect of its appearance.

In summary, the removal of this heritage designation is likely to lead to the demolition of a significant London landmark. Allowing the flattening of Beth Emmanuel would be a massive failure of the City of London and a huge loss for Londoners of every background, culture, and tradition.  

Sincerely,

Jennifer Grainger, London, Ontario

Update, June 3, 2026: The request to repeal the heritage designation by-law has been withdrawn. Thanks to everyone who supported the congregation and its building. Now, how can we help them preserve their church going forward?

Day Trips: Mitchell

Considering Mitchell is less than an hour's drive from London, you'd think I'd get there more often. For some reason I rarely get beyond St. Marys but in the future that will change. Mitchell is an attractive small town with much for history buffs to admire. The adorable cottage at left is only one of many heritage homes.

Even the town's name is interesting. Mitchell is said to have been the surname of a black man who built a cabin on the banks of the Thames in pioneer days.* If so, Mitchell may be the only town in the province named after a black settler. 

The town's history appears a bit "whitewashed" on this cairn near the Mitchell dam. The plaque indicates the town was founded by the Hicks family:

But it has to me admitted that no history of Mitchell is complete without the Hicks. The man on the plaque, John Hicks, purchased his first lot in Mitchell in 1836. The family became associated with the hotel trade as proprietors of the Hicks House. The building by that name standing today is the third hotel, the second one having burned down in a devastating fire in 1872. One of the most outstanding structures in town, it has recently had its windows replaced and repair work done. But unlike some renovations, this one has attractively extended the life of the building, which now has stores on the main floor and apartments above. 

The red cherry bar from the Hicks House, complete with arches and carvings, has been relocated down the block into Faust's Home Hardware:

Another building associated with the Hicks family is 88 Blanshard Street, called "Dunelg" (Gaelic for "house on the hill"). It was built by Toronto architect Walter R. Strickland in 1876 for William Hicks, son of the hotel owner. It's hard to see from the front, being hidden by trees, but one does see this gatepost identifying the property. Note the grapes, which symbolize abundance and prosperity.

If one ventures up a side street, one does get a side-view glimpse of this imposing Italianate mansion. Note the terra-cotta lintels with prominent keystones above what look like original windows.

Glimpse of the stable at rear:

There are other imposing homes on Blanshard Street, like the extraordinary Italianate Villa at no. 78. Constructed by builder Thomas McClay, this 1881 mansion was owned by Sam Hewitt and later his son-in-law, Willard Heath, under whom it became a funeral home. Note more terra-cotta lintels and keystones, along with an imposing central tower with slate roof. Apparently a home for the living again.

No. 62 Blanshard, unfortunately, has a sagging porch and is badly in need of paint. Subdivided into apartments, it looks empty and in need of rescue:

There are interesting non-residential buildings in Mitchell. One is the well-preserved West Perth Public Library (formerly the Mitchell Public Library) on St. Andrew Street. It was built in 1910 using a $5,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie's foundation. There's an adorable turret next to the main door. 

I couldn't resist peeking into the turret, now a book nook, while inside:

A postcard from 1915 shows St. Andrews Street with the library (minus later additions) at left:

Author's collection.

I also visited Ketterson Park, site of Mitchell Agricultural Society's fall fair. There I discovered a circular "Crystal Palace" exhibition hall, built in 1917 and still in use. I wonder how many of these buildings are left in Ontario? Not much "crystal" left here, though, since the window and door openings are being covered with black and white fair-themed illustrations. See here for more info.

Other Mitchell buildings of note include the former Royal Hotel, built in 1865 on the northwest corner of St. Andrew Street and Ontario Road:

Once The Plaza movie theatre, this bright building at 36 Ontario Road became the Rose & Crown pub. Now it has another use:

Not every building in Mitchell is being "saved," though. I arrived in time to watch the demolition of the 1924 Mitchell High School, later the West Perth Municipal Building. The municipality has a new headquarters but surely this could have been used for something:

Below is little Trinity Anglican Church at 110 St. Andrew Street. This 1939 building replaced an earlier church that burned that year. This church is now empty, although there are other churches in Mitchell still in use. 

The first Anglican church in town was a now-demolished white-frame structure, built at the site of the Anglican cemetery on Blanshard Street. Which brings me to: 

Tombstone Tourism: Trinity Anglican Cemetery, Mitchell:

I always visit at least one cemetery in every town. I see no reason to ignore the community's earlier inhabitants just because they're dead.

Interesting imagery here: a star in the night sky as seen through a window. 

Many stones are in need of repair. The top part of this marker is sliding off.

But that's better than having a tree growing through it.

Interesting ironwork but no gravemarkers visible inside. 

Stones facing the street, perhaps meant to be read from the sidewalk. Unfortunately overgrown.

Gateway, probably once leading to the street, now leading nowhere. It's tempting to interpret this as a symbol depicting the futility of human life but I'm sure that wasn't intended.

If exploring a small town leaves you exhausted, the downtown Lion's Park, site of the 1963 Mitchell Dam, is a great place to relax.

The original dam, as seen in this 1911 postcard:

Author's collection.

If you're looking for a walking tour of Mitchell, just ask at the library for "Heritage Hike: Central Mitchell Loop" or a pamphlet called "Mitchell Architectural Walking Tour" created by the West Perth Heritage Committee.

*David E. Scott, Ontario Place Names. Allanburg, ON: DESPUB, Sixth edition, 2010. p. 293.

Day Trips: Port Dover & Area

 

When they think of Port Dover, many people picture the scene on the postcard at left.* And it's true that "motorcycle enthusiasts" converge on the village every Friday the 13th. Why? Apparently a group of biker friends had a great time in the village in 1981 on a date that just happened to be Friday the 13th. Their time was so good that they decided they'd return every Friday the 13th. The word got out. Now as many as 100,000 bikers converge on the village on a Friday the 13th in summer. The next party will be September 13th in case you'd like to be there.

For those of you who wouldn't like to be there, bear in mind that the 13th of the month falls on a Friday at least once a year and sometimes as often as three times a year. But take heart. That leaves over 360 days a year that aren't Friday the 13th. And the rest of the year Port Dover is a fairly quiet Canadian resort. If you're there in winter, it's very quiet. But I recommend a lovely summer day that doesn't fall on a Friday the 13th for the optimal experience. 

Since this is a history blog, you should known that the community was founded by Loyalists in 1794 and named after the English port of Dover. Before the War of 1812, the area north of today's port was known as Dover Mills. During the war, the Americans raided and destroyed much of the pioneer settlement. But the settlers rebuilt, recognizing that, not only did the Lynn River provide water power for their mills, but the location where the river emptied into Lake Erie was a good natural harbour. 

Not surprisingly, Port Dover became a prosperous fishing port, the fish being shipped out by rail and boat. But by the 20th century, Port Dover had also become a tourist hub, with summer visitors arriving by train, boarding locally, and visiting the beach and other attractions. 

The postcard below features a village house that took in summer boarders. Dated October 5, 1909, it's addressed to Mrs. George Smoke, McCreedy, Ontario, and the text begins: "Dear Cousin: This is a photo of our house. We had quite a number of summer people this summer but have got rid of them all now." It's signed by May, who doesn't sound like she was sad to get rid of the "summer people." I suspect that families took in summer boarders to augment their incomes but were happy to have their homes to themselves again coming autumn.

Port Dover is still a tourist destination, of course, but nowadays it's usually automobile daytrippers such as myself needing to get out of the city on a Sunday, see something different, and have a perch lunch. 

The Fishing Industry

It seems that the driving force behind any industry is market demand. If there's enough demand, an industry attempts to meet it by increasing product volume. So it's not surprising that demand for Lake Erie fish like walleye, whitefish, perch and trout increased from the time of first European settlement until well into the 20th century and that local fisheries worked hard to fill the demand. But in recent decades, climate change and disease have taken their toll on fish populations. And humans have really messed things up with habitat degradation, water contamination, and over-fishing with nets and electronic fish finders.** Commercial fishing isn't what it used to be.

Still, there are fish caught and you can eat them in the village. For example, the dining room at the Erie Beach still serves locally-caught fish, including perch. 

An old postcard features the Erie Beach Hotel, sometime after its opening in 1946:

Local History and Architecture

Port Dover has its fair share of well-preserved history and buildings. Perhaps of most interest is the 1904-06 Port Dover Town Hall, now reincarnated as the Lighthouse Theatre.

There's also the Harbour Museum which appears small but is jam packed with displays about the War of 1812, the fishing industry, shipwrecks, and the heroes who saved the lives of sailors. As well as the wheelhouse of a 1912 freighter:

At the centre of town is Powell Park ... 

... which hasn't changed much over the years, still featuring a bandstand and cannon:

This attractive square almost has enough monuments to provide strollers with the town's history without visiting the museum: 

Then there's this waterfall on the Lynn River:

In case you're thinking this would be a nice spot for a picnic, think again. I slid down a muddy path through insect-infested brush to get this picture. Seems a pity it's not easier to get at. However, upon arriving home, I googled the site and found several comments stating this is private property. If so, the owners need to mark this more clearly. I didn't see any "No Trespassing" signs and I guess other visitors didn't either.

But back to local history.

Tombstone Tourism 

Next to the falls at the top of a hill is the historic McQueen Cemetery. It's situated in the pioneer hamlet of Dover Mills, the area ransacked by the Americans during the War of 1812. Daniel McQueen, buried here, was born in the American colonies in 1764, arrived here as a Loyalist, and died here in 1854. It was Daniel who built the first mill at the "Mills" and can therefore be considered the founder of the community. Numerous other members of the McQueen family are buried here as well.

Monument to Alexander McQueen, Daniel's father, a veteran of the Seven Years' War who fought under Wolfe at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

The graveyard is worth seeing - but be careful. Even for those of us who enjoy cemetery sightseeing, this spot is a bit of a challenge. Access to the site is via a steep walking path from Tisdale Road and, when it's damp after a rain, it's a good place to come a cropper:

Also, take your bug repellent, unless you're one of those lucky people the little biters don't like. Me, they love. My visit was short. 

Nearby Historic Places

Heading back to London, we travelled along the lakeshore for a while, eventually reaching Port Ryerse. For those of us hooked on history, the main feature is Memorial Anglican Church Cemetery, another Loyalist burial ground, complete with church.

The community was founded by Lieut.-Col. Samuel Ryerse, who fought for the British during the Revolutionary War and afterwards took refuge in New Brunswick. Later, upon receiving 3,000 acres in this area, he settled on Young's Creek and built a gristmill, which turned out to be another one the Americans burned. He died in 1812 and is the earliest known burial here. 

Incidentally, Samuel was the uncle of Egerton Ryerson. Ryerson seems to be the correct name for this family, Ryerse being a spelling mistake on Samuel's military records.*** Samuel's branch of the family continued this change of the family surname. 

Ryerse graves

This is another one of those places that's as good as a museum with lots to see, including black history in the form of this monument: 

Then there's this display, which includes a sign from the local school and an anchor retrieved from the harbour:

And this is cool. Too bad I won't be there to see it opened:

Still farther west on the lake is Normandale, an early 19th-century boom town turned sleepy hamlet. The Normandale ironworks was built by John Mason in 1816-17 and enlarged by Joseph Van Norman and his partners in 1821-22. There they made their Van Norman cooking stove along with other cast and wrought iron implements.  The industry lasted until the 1840s when local ore deposits were depleted. 

But, from my point of view, the area's restored buildings are the big draw:

* All postcards from the author's collection. 

**https://longpointbiosphere.com/download/long_point_environmental_folio_publication_series/Fisheries-of-Lake-Erie-and-the-Long-Point-Area-Past-and-Present-Compressed.pdf

*** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Ryerson