Welland House Hotel
Encyclopedia
Welland House Hotel is a historic building located on the corner of King and Ontario Streets in St. Catharines, Ontario
, the Welland House Hotel Building is now a landmark in the Downtown Core.
hotel to be built in the area. Opening in 1856, the mineral water
s were pumped from the main spring near Twelve Mile Creek to the hotel. It was believed the waters had healing powers and could cure many ailments.
Welland House was established as part of the local spa market, and was mainly a summer resort that catered to wealthy citizens in Canada and the United States
. The hotel often boasted famous guests including actors, politicians, musicians and performers. The Encyclopædia Britannica
even listed it as one of the world’s best spas.
The hotel had a number of owners, including the Malcomson brothers who purchased it in 1893. They greatly improved it by drilling a new well, building a bath house and opening a private hospital named The Wellandra. The hospital was a key addition to the hotel, and continued to promote the healing powers found in mineral water treatments. In November 1909, Mary Malcolmson
started the first North America
n Girl Guide
troop at the Welland House. Unfortunately, the spa business in St. Catharines went into decline and Welland House closed its doors in 1993.
The Hotel Bar, named the Alibi Room was known to be a meeting place for gay
s and lesbian
s in the area from 1968 until its closing.
The Welland House re-opened in 1994 as a restaurant (Average Joe's) and student residence. Although Average Joe's has since closed, the Welland House remains a student residence. Known as the "Downtown Student Residence", or DSR, many of the residents are students attending Brock University
or Niagara College
. The building has become the home of CFBU-FM
, Brock University
's campus radio
station.
In the Summer of 2007, major interior renovations were made in various rooms. Some rooms received new flooring, bathroom fixtures, ceiling lights, wet and dry kitchenettes, and new paint. Renovations continue on the DSR's main lobby and exterior facade.
St. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
, the Welland House Hotel Building is now a landmark in the Downtown Core.
History
In 1853 natural salt springs were found in the downtown area of St. Catharines, Ontario. A trio of men bought three lots at this corner and construction began on the Welland House Hotel. The hotel was constructed using mostly Black workers and was the second spaSpa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
hotel to be built in the area. Opening in 1856, the mineral water
Mineral water
Mineral water is water containing minerals or other dissolved substances that alter its taste or give it therapeutic value, generally obtained from a naturally occurring mineral spring or source. Dissolved substances in the water may include various salts and sulfur compounds...
s were pumped from the main spring near Twelve Mile Creek to the hotel. It was believed the waters had healing powers and could cure many ailments.
Welland House was established as part of the local spa market, and was mainly a summer resort that catered to wealthy citizens in Canada and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The hotel often boasted famous guests including actors, politicians, musicians and performers. The Encyclopædia Britannica
Encyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
even listed it as one of the world’s best spas.
The hotel had a number of owners, including the Malcomson brothers who purchased it in 1893. They greatly improved it by drilling a new well, building a bath house and opening a private hospital named The Wellandra. The hospital was a key addition to the hotel, and continued to promote the healing powers found in mineral water treatments. In November 1909, Mary Malcolmson
Mary Malcolmson
-1st St Catharines:Malcolmson organized the first Canadian Girl Guide company to be officially registered. The Company started to meet in November 1909 in St. Catharines, Ontario and was registered on 1910-01-11. Meetings were held in the Welland House Hotel...
started the first North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n Girl Guide
Girl Guides of Canada
Girl Guides of Canada - Guides du Canada is the national Guiding association of Canada. Guiding in Canada started in 1910 and was among the founding members of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 1928. As of 2006, the association had 116,206 members.-History:Mary Malcolmson...
troop at the Welland House. Unfortunately, the spa business in St. Catharines went into decline and Welland House closed its doors in 1993.
The Hotel Bar, named the Alibi Room was known to be a meeting place for gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
s and lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
s in the area from 1968 until its closing.
Current use
Brock University
Brock University is a comprehensive university located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Brock offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to an enrolment of over 17,000 full-time students.The enabling legislation is...
or Niagara College
Niagara College
Niagara College is a College of Applied Arts and Technology within the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. The College has four campuses: the Welland Campus in Welland, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Maid of the Mist Campus in Niagara Falls, home of the Tourism Industry...
. The building has become the home of CFBU-FM
CFBU-FM
CFBU-FM is the community-based campus radio station of Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The station broadcasts at 103.7 FM, with an effective radiated power of 250 watts...
, Brock University
Brock University
Brock University is a comprehensive university located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Brock offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to an enrolment of over 17,000 full-time students.The enabling legislation is...
's campus radio
Campus radio
Campus radio is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively by students, or may include programmers from the wider community in which the radio station is based...
station.
In the Summer of 2007, major interior renovations were made in various rooms. Some rooms received new flooring, bathroom fixtures, ceiling lights, wet and dry kitchenettes, and new paint. Renovations continue on the DSR's main lobby and exterior facade.