The River Defenses (1839-43)
NextBritish construction of Fort Mississauga on the Canadian shore in 1814 exposed the interior of Fort Niagara to bombardment. The problem was remedied between 1839 and 1841 by erection of the massive River Wall. This was of uniform height for its entire length until 1889 when the northern end was torn down. The difference in the stonework resulted from a change in stone suppliers between 1839 and 1840. Guns on the Hot Shot Battery face Fort Mississauga, visible across the river in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Adjacent to the batter is the Hot Shot Furnace, completed in 1843. Here cannon balls could be heated to nearly white-hot. When fired into a wooden ship or building, hot shot would quickly set it afire. The arched Postern Gate was the main entrance to Fort Niagara after 1839.
Next Up: The Log Cabin (1932)