Our Heritage - Morgan Funeral Home

The earliest owners of Lot 239 were Matthew Donovan (September 13, 1795-1799) and Elizabeth Andrews (1800-1806) the widow of Commodore James Andrews, who drowned in 1780.

Mrs. Andrews must have built on Lot 239 prior to August 1801 when her Crown Grant was registered.  In October 1806, Mrs. Andrews sold the lot to John Eagleson for 20 pounds.

John Eagleson 1806 - 1848

Eagleson is reputed to have built the Masonic Lodge after the 1812-1815 war using material salvaged from the burning of the town in December 1813.

William Little 1848 - 1875

Little was an engineer and he maintained and improved the former Eagleson property until his death in 1875.

William Richard Bartlett 1876 - 1878

It appears that the Bartletts bought the 3 acres hoping that the town's late 19th century growth of tourism combined with activity at Camp Niagara would end the recession which had begun in the mid 1860's when the second Welland Canal by-passed Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Stephen Callory 1878 - 1892

Callory was a professional gardener who sold his produce from the 3 acres to local stores as well as to individual buyers.  Callory died during the April ice storm of 1909.

Mary Bemis Parsons and Alice M. Bemis 1892 - 1908

In the summer of 1907 Mrs. Parsons had a prospective customer for her 3 acres.  W. G. Moncrieff, an American businessman, was willing to pay $5,000.00 for a prestigious summer property.

 

William Glen Moncrieff 1908 - 1923

Mr. Moncrieff and his wife, Annie Louise added the north east half of Lot 278 to his town property in 1911 where, in the house built by John Eagleson in 1830, he entertained his American friends.

Ednah Sullivan & Mabie Sullivan 1923 - 1946

Mr. Sullivan owned a lumber business in Buffalo and laid the beautiful oak hardwood floors throughout the main house.  In the 1940's the house became the quarters for the Women's Auxiliary Corps during the Second World War.
 

Maidlaws 1946 -

Murray Ashton and Cal J. converted the building to a guest house called "Barbary Lodge".  Numerous local people held receptions in the large dining room.
 

Mrs. Fisher  - 1958

Mrs. Fisher converted the building into a nursing home which she ran.  The building was vacated in 1958 and the water was left in the radiators causing them to freeze and burst.  The water stained the beautiful hardwood floors.

Today

The Morgan family purchased the property and took possession on January 15th, 1959.  On April 1st Gordon, Betty and Ernie moved from Toronto to their new home.  A sign was erected at the front and it opened to the public as Gordon E. Morgan Funeral Home on July 1, 1959.  A second son, Jeffrey was born December 13th, 1960 (deceased February 22nd, 2004).  Ernie and Jeffrey both became Funeral Directors and Ernie continues to be the Managing Director.