The Merritton Cotton Mill used to manufacture cotton, specifically yarn, batting, and wadding, it has now been converted into The Keg restaurant, but has still preserved its historical beauty. This mill has a significant past, including the conversion to a rubber company during the First World War to supply rubber boots, and the closure during the Great Depression (Gannon, 1998). Since then, this old mill has been converted into what is now The Keg through renovations, but the interior still provides its customers with a rustic and quaint atmosphere. The participants can also walk around the exterior of the building which is comprised of an impressive towering chimney from the old mill, and beautiful brickwork which has preserved the character of the old Merritton Cotton Mill.

The Merritton Cotton Mill used to be called the Beaver Cotton Mill. Production began in 1857, which made this mill the first factory of its kind in Canada. The mill was originally built as a frame building, but once it burned down in 1881, it was rebuilt with red sandstone (Gannon, 1998).

The mill closed its doors as a cotton mill in 1906, and in 1912 it was expanded, and under new management of The Independent Rubber Company, its new purpose became to manufacture rubber. This mill supplied rubber boots during the First World War, and it was closed during the Great Depression. The mill was then abandoned until 1935, when the building became used as storage (Gannon, 1998).

In 1961, the addition (larger building) caught fire and burned to the ground. The portion of the mill, which now remains as the Keg, was the portion of the building that was fortunately not destroyed by this fire. This remaining portion of the mill became storage again, but then again was abandoned for many more years until 2001 when The Keg revamped it and turned it into a restaurant.

References:

Gannon, D. (March 2nd, 1998). Yesterday and Today. St. Catharines, ON. St. Catharines standard (newspaper). Archival Info: SPCL FC 3155.4 G36 2009 V.1.

Gannon, D. (March 2^nd, 1998). Yesterday and Today. St. Catharines, ON. St. Catharines standard (newspaper). Archival Info: SPCL FC 3155.4 G36 2009 V.1.

Old Meritton Cotton Mill. Greenbelt. http://brocku.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/69-mills/675-the-old-merritton-cotton-mill-.html

Stiver, H. (2017). Merritton Cotton Mill: Ontario's old mills. http://www.ontfin.com/Word/merritton-cotton-mill-ontarios-old-mills/