Originally known as Glenview Mansion, this beautiful Victorian mansion was built by John Drew around 1865. The 27-room home was situated on an 85-acre estate that included fields, orchards, vineyards, stables, tennis courts,and a grist mill. The property stretched from River Road all the way west to Victoria Avenue, and from the rail yards north as far as the Whirlpool.
John Drew was the first of three prominent owners who played an important role in the history of Niagara Falls. In 1860, he began the first of several terms as a Clifton town councillor. Drew was a masonry contractor whose company built Clifton Town Hall, which stood in front of the present Niagara Falls city hall until it was demolished in 2019. Clifton was amalgamated into the City of Niagara Falls in 1904.
Dr. John Ferguson was the second owner of Glenview. He was a Conservative MP for Niagara Falls from 1882 to 1891, after which time he was appointed to the Canadian Senate. Described as "wealthy, well-travelled, suave and generous", Dr. Ferguson "entertained lavishly, holding dress balls and garden parties." Ferguson died around 1893, and Glenview was purchased by Robert P. Slater, a wealthy businessman and mayor of Niagara Falls. Mr. Slater divided the Glenview estate into lots with the streets we know today. Slater was key in bringing industry and hydro-electric development to the City of Niagara Falls.
In addition to its prominent links with civic history, Glenview Mansion also has a more macabre reputation. Unsubstantiated rumours of two murders that took place just outside the mansion have given rise to reports of mysterious apparitions that haunt its grounds.
The first murder allegedly occurred in the late 1800s, and the second in the early 1900s. The first story centres around a thief who tried to sell the home (which he didn't own) to a recent immigrant. Details of this story are sketchy but it ultimately ended in the murder of one of the protagonists.
The second story concerns the murder of a man and woman who had attended a party at Glenview and were waiting in the driveway for their horse-drawn carriage when they were attacked and killed. According to local legend, locals have seen apparitions of a horse-drawn carriage coming up the main driveway, as well as trails of blood streaming down the driveway on the anniversary of their murder.
Glenview stayed in the Slater family until 1965, but was divided into apartments some time in the mid-1950s. Though formally known as Whitehall Apartments, the house was painted pink for many years - hence its nickname "the Pink Palace".
The building is difficult to see from Terrace Avenue, but the rear of the property can be seen from 4223 Buttrey Street.
Note that Glenview Mansion is a private property. Please respect the rights and privacy of the residents and remain off of their property.
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Niagara Falls Public Library. 2017. Niagara Falls - Then & Now: A Photographic Journey Through The Years. Pink Palace/Glenview Mansion/Whitehall Apartments
Niagara Falls Public Library. Undated (accessed 2021-06-24). Local History Digital Exhibits: Pink Palace. https://my.nflibrary.ca/HistoricNiagara/DigitalExhibits/PinkPalace .
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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