“When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.”

Our History

The Brown Homestead was settled around 1785 by the Loyalist John Brown and his family. Today, the property consists of approximately 7.5 acres of land int he southwest corner of St. Catharines, Ontario. It features the John Brown House, which is the oldest home in the city (c.1796-1804). This grand Georgian home was an active farmhouse for more than 180 years. It was also used as a tavern and an inn during the early 1800's, and was one of the stop along the Dundas Niagara Stagecoach Line.

It is also the home of the Norton Cabin (ca. 1817), built by Mohawk chief Teyoninhokarawen (John Norton), which was moved to the homestead in 1997 to save it from demolition. Norton is best known for leading Six Nations warriors in battle during the War of 1812, but he was also an Indian Department interpreter and a great educator. He spoke and wrote more than sixteen languages and was instrumental in the first translation of the Bible into Mohawk.

It was purchased in 2015 by the John Brown Heritage Foundation (JBHF) to preserve the house and reimagine it as a community gathering place that would serve as an engine of progress and development. In 2021, JBHF was renamed The Brown Homestead.

Our Vision

Compassionate communities using innovative thinking and an understanding of their place in history's continuum to build a more harmonious future.

The Brown Homestead was founded in 2015 to preserve and maintain significant heritage buildings and sites.

We believe that historic sites reach their full potential when they are vibrant community spaces that nurture a growing passion for learning. The Brown Homestead is a model of how historic sites can become creative educational leaders and community catalysts, helping to redefine educational paradigms for a changing world.

We are working to ensure that historic site management becomes an integral part of community planning and development.

Our Future

The Brown Homestead is a place for everyone. Facing the Short Hills Provincial Park across the street and with Henry of Pelham’s vineyards behind, the site is the perfect pastoral setting for public refreshment. Our plan for The Brown Homestead is as one of Niagara’s most exciting cultural venues, offering community festivals, public and private events, and creative educational programming, often with our outstanding educational, cultural and charitable partners.