Clark Hill - Oak Hall

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CLARK HILL

oak hall

Then: Clark Hill

Clark Hill, 1870.

Thomas Clark, one of Niagara's most prosperous early settlers, built a large two storey home overlooking Dufferin Islands. He named the house and property "Clark Hill". It changed hands a number of times over the decades, eventually being purchased by mining tycoon Harry Oakes in 1924.

Oakes had a 37-room, three-storey Tudor-style mansion built on the site. He called it "Oak Hall". The new estate included fireplaces with original mantles and hearths from the original Clark Hill house, as well as a billiard room, a swimming pool, servants' quarters, and a magnificent great hall. The Oakes family lived in Oak Hall for six years, before moving to the Bahamas, primarily for tax reasons.

Sir Harry Oakes was created a Baronet in 1939 by King George VI. However, in a bizarre homicide case that was never solved, Oakes was murdered under mysterious circumstances at his estate in the Bahamas in 1943. The cause of his death and the details surrounding it have never been entirely determined, and the case has been the subject of several books and four films.

Lady Eunice Oakes allowed Oak Hall to be used as a convalescent site for members of the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII. After the war, the Oakes' son, Sir Sidney Oakes, resided there until 1957. He he died in a car accident in 1966, at the age of 39.

Now: Oak Hall

In 1959, the Niagara Parks Commission purchased Oak Hall, and refurbished the house and grounds. Today, it is used as headquarters for the Niagara Parks Commission, and several of the historic rooms have been made available periodically for public viewing. A par-3 golf course takes up most of the grounds.

Clark Hill through the years...

Niagara Parks. 2020. Niagara Parks Heritage. https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit-niagara-parks/heritage/

Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years. Clark Hill/
Oak Hall.

7400 Portage Rd, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6X8

Niagara Falls Then and Now
A collaborative project
Niagara Falls Museums - Niagara Falls Public Library - Dept. of Geography and Tourism Studies,Brock University.
Original newspaper series by Sherman Zavitz, Official Historian for the City of Niagara Falls from 1994 - 2019.

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