Fort George Powder Magazine

The sole structure to survive the American bombardment of Fort George in 1813, the powder magazine was, and remains, an integral part of the fort. Protected by a flanking berm (earthwork to shield the structure from bombardment), this building housed the vast quantities of black powder which was required to keep the British garrison, their indigenous allies, and local militia units supplied with ammunition.

Designed by the British Corps of Royal Engineers and built from 1796-1797, the powder magazine was one of the first structures to be completed on the site of what would become the headquarters of the centre division of British forces in Canada during the War of 1812. Prior to the magazine's completion, the navy hall complex was used to store the British army's ammunition - a precarious position for such storage, given the exposed position of Navy Hall to Fort Niagara's cannons just across the river. The only structure in the fort to be constructed of entirely stone, the magazine had a capacity of 300 of barrels of black powder, and was designed to be impervious to explosions or hotshot, which claimed all of the other wooden structures during the American bombardment of the fort in 1813. Although the roof of the structure was hit and penetrated by hotshot in the bombardment of Fort George by Fort Niagara in the lead-up to the Battle of Queenston heights, the quick actions of a member of the Corps of Royal Engineers prevented the red-hot cannonball from igniting the powder within.

What little powder remained in the magazine was ordered to be blown up by General John Vincent prior to his withdrawal to Burlington Heights on May 27, 1813. Following the American destruction and reconstruction of Fort George in 1813, the magazine continued to be used, and with the subsequent British recapture of the Fort in December, remained in service until the 1830s, when it was superseded by the expanding Fort Mississauga on the northern edge of Newark. Throughout the latter half of the nineteenth century, the magazine was occupied by a number of squatters, and even once used as a farmhouse. When Fort George was reconstructed in the 1930s, the powder magazine was restored to its condition in 1812.

The building is a rare surviving example of an intact eighteenth-century powder magazine, with an interior brick reinforcing arch and exterior supports. The thick-walled masonry, use of the naturally defensive landscape, and symmetrical structure of the building is typical of the Corps of Royal Engineers' highly practical architecture. The walls are 2.4 metres (8 feet) thick, and constructed from local limestone quarried from Queenston. The roof, doorway, and window frames are all constructed of copper to prevent sparking, which could cause accidental ignition of the powder. The floors are double-layer wood, and are pegged to the ground instead of being mailed, decreasing the risk of combustion.

A second magazine was constructed of brick and stone near the existing structure, however it was described as being "in ruins" by 1814 and does not survive to this day. The magazine is located within a natural ravine, which was altered during the construction of the building to provide drainage away from the fort - otherwise, the powder would be flooded by rain and snowmelt and thus rendered inert. A berm was also constructed along the top of the ravine facing Fort Niagara, further shielding the magazine from American fire. The building is the oldest original structure in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and one of the oldest military structures in Canada. As of August 2020, the powder magazine is undergoing restoration along with the fort's three blockhouses.

The powder magazine is within Fort George National Historic Site, and is administered by Parks Canada. Admission to the site can be purchased at the Visitor reception centre at the front of the Fort, and the powder magazine is accessible via the paved pathways. COVID-19 social distancing and mask prescriptions are in effect at Fort George, and hours are limited and may be subject to change.