Then: Dominion Government Building

This distinctive stone Dominion Government Building was constructed in 1885 by Thomas Fuller, the same architect who designed the centre block of the Houses of Parliament in Ottawa.

Built in what was then a prosperous business district in the Village of Elgin, the three-storey, Romanesque-revival structure served as a substantial physical reminder of the Dominion of Canada, as Canada had only been a separate state for 18 years at the time of this building's construction.

In the entry arch, the letters "VR" are visible, for Victoria Regina, who was the reigning Queen of Canada when the structure was built. The building initially hosted two federal offices - the Canada Customs House which served the Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge border crossing, and an important local Post Office.

An explosion from the basement furnace ripped through the building in 1927. This nearly destroyed the structure, but was later repaired. The building was enlarged to the rear to suit the increased needs of the customs house, which became the sole occupant after the explosion. The post office then moved to the corner of Queen Street and St. Clair Avenue in 1930, removing one of the building's main functions. Then, the customs office relocated later in 1952.

After being briefly unoccupied, the building was purchased by the City of Niagara Falls to serve as the new police headquarters, a role it served until 1976. During this time, the 1953 blockbuster film "Niagara" starring Marilyn Monroe, had several scenes filmed on location at the building.

Now: Unoccupied

After nearly one hundred years of use by various public service agencies, the Dominion Government Building became unoccupied in 1976. It was accorded protected heritage status in 1978 by the City of Niagara Falls under By-Law 78-25.

The property was later purchased by local businessman Stan Fiedorek, who had plans to renovate it for use as a museum. It was leased for a 40 year term to another business interest, but the deal fell through.

Unfortunately, as a result, the classic Romanesque Revival building has now been unoccupied for over four decades, and has begun to decay. The windows, long since gone, are boarded up with plywood, and there is extensive damage to the gabled roof. Years ago, a major fire destroyed much of the interior. Some burn marks can still be seen on the outside of the building. The building is now considered to be at risk due to its deteriorating condition.

"The original jail cells are still in there. Because of the fire, the floors have been destroyed so there's a bit left, but not very much". - Jane Fiedorek

Canada's Historic Places, Parks Canada. 2020. Post Office and Customs House. https://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=9791

City of Niagara Falls. Heritage Property Details.Post Office/Customs House. https://niagarafalls.ca/living/heritage/273186-post-office-customs-house.hp

Niagara Falls Review. 2012 (updated 2020). Fiedorek family has plans for The Palace. https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news/niagara-region/2012/12/07/fiedorek-family-has-plans-for-the-palace.html

Preservation Ready Sites Buffalo.Dominion Public Building, Niagara Falls, Ontario https://www.preservationready.org/Buildings/4177ParkStreet

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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Copyright for all content remains with original creators.