Niagara-on-the-Lake in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Gleaner Printing and Masonic Hall

Photographed by Kevin Westell

1. Gleaner Printing and Masonic Hall Marker

Inscription. The site of the Gleaner Printing [House 1817]
also [the] Masonic Hall 1792

Erected 1901 by Niagara Historical Society.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Fraternal or Sororal Organizations. A significant historical year for this entry is 1792.

Location. 43° 15.46′ N, 79° 4.101′ W. Marker is in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is at the intersection of King Street and Delater Street, on the left when traveling north on King Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 66 King Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake ON L0S 1J0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe

and in Niagara Canada.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Solo Swims Of Ontario

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(here, next to this marker); First Newspaper 1793 (within shouting distance of this marker); Niagara-on-the-Lake's Railroad (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); The First Provincial Parliament 1792 (approx. 0.2 kilometers away); Niagara Lodge No. 2 G.R.C. (approx. 0.2 kilometers away); St. Mark’s Church (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Bicentennial of First Parliament (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); First Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada (approx. 0.3 kilometers away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

More about this marker. Part of the marker's surface is absent, and the some of the original wording is conjecture.

Regarding Gleaner Printing and Masonic Hall. This stone memorializes three buildings (none at this location):

1. The original wooden Masonic Hall, built 1792. It was destroyed when Americans burned the town in December 1813.
2. The rebuilt Masonic Hall, built 1816. That building still exists at 153 King (near where this stone was originally placed). It still houses the Masonic Hall, and also now an art gallery.
3. A building (adjacent to the 1816 Masonic Hall) which

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housed The Gleaner and Niagara Newspaper, a weekly newspaper that operated from 1817 into the 1830s.

Also see . . . Gleaner Printing and Masonic Hall (Google Arts & Culture). Excerpt:

The history of Freemasonry in Niagara is as old as the town itself – with the first lodge being established in 1791 at the foot of present-day King Street. The original wooden building was one of the first buildings in the town, the other was a public house located next-door. In December 1813, this first lodge was burned, along with the rest of the town, by American soldiers and Canadian turncoats as they abandoned the town. Around 1816, the present building was constructed on the same spot as the destroyed lodge, this time out of stone rather than wood.

By 1817, The Gleaner newspaper, published by Andrew Heron, established itself next to the lodge. The Gleaner was in operation from 1817 until 1837, and at one point was the longest running newspaper in Upper Canada…

(Submitted on June 3, 2025.)

Credits. This page was last revised on June 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 3, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. This page has been viewed 165 times since then and 20 times this year. Last updated on June 3, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. Photo 1. submitted on June 3, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.