General Information

This historic ten acre passive park was created in 1976 on the infilled channel of the second Welland Canal, but despite the name, it is not the site of the battle itself. However, it commemorates both Laura Ingersoll Secord and the soldiers involved in the decisive Battle of Beaverdams in 1813, as well as several other significant heritage events (see below).

The park is situated in the heart of Thorold just around the corner from the downtown core.

This point of interest is linked to The Battlefields of The War of 1812 Tour.

Photo Gallery

Hours of Operation

The park is open for use from dusk till dawn.

Directions

From Toronto

From Niagara Falls
Head north on Victoria Avenue toward Valley Way

Turn left at Bridge Street

Turn right at Stanley Avenue

Continue onto Thorold Stone Road

Continue onto King's Highway 58

Take the exit toward Pine Street South

Turn right at Sullivan Avenue

Take the second right onto Front Street South

From USA
Head south on Stanley Avenue toward Stamford Street
Take the second right onto King’s Highway 420
Turn right at Montrose Road
Turn left at Thorold Stone Road
Continue onto King’s Highway 58
Take the exit toward Pine Street South
Turn right at Pine Street South
Turn right at Sullivan Avenue
Take second right onto Front Steet South

Historical

Battle of Beaverdams Park commemorates the storied battle of June 24, 1813, fought against invading American forces by native warriors, Canadian militia, and British regulars under the command of Lt. James FitzGibbon, after Laura Secord warned him of an impending American ambush.

The park contains several notable heritage features: the Battle of Beaverdams Monument, a monument to fallen American soldiers from that battle, the Laura Secord plaque, Lock 25 of the Second Welland Canal, the mysterious and cryptic "JB" Stone, and the Thorold Millennium Cairn.

The Battle of Beaverdams Monument is a stone cairn bearing a brass plaque commemorating the pivotal encounter during the war of 1812 now known as the Battle of Beaverdams (a.k.a. the Battle in the Beech Woods). In late May 1813 the Americans invaded the Niagara Peninsula but were driven back to Fort George where they planned a counter attack on Lt. James FitzGibbon. Laura Secord, whose home in Queenston was being used to billet the enemy American forces, overheard these plans and  warned FitzGibbon of an impending American ambush in her famous trek on June 22nd, 1813.

The cairn was erected in 1923 by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. It originally stood on the actual battlefield at the present-day intersection of Old Thorold Stone Road and Davis Road just east of the Thorold Tunnel, but was moved to Battle of Beaverdams Park in 1976 because of plans (unrealized) for the excavation of a fifth Welland Canal through the battlefield site.

There is also a limestone obelisk which was erected in 1874, marking the grave of 16 American soldiers who died in the battle. Their remains were found during the construction of the third Welland Canal. This mounment was also moved from the original battlefield in 1976, and the remains of the American soldiers were reinterred in Battle of Beaverdams Park.

A plaque dedicated to Laura Secord also stands in the park. It reads:

LAURA INGERSOLL SECORD

1775-1868

WHO SET OUT FROM HER HOME IN QUEENSTON EARLY IN THE MORNING OF JUNE 22, 1813 TO WALK AN ARDUOUS NINETEEN MILES TO WARN THE BRITISH OUTPOST AT DECEW FALLS OF AN IMPENDING AMERICAN ATTACK. THE INFORMATION ENABLED THE LOCAL BRITISH COMMANDER, LIEUTENANT JAMES FITZGIBBON, AND HIS DETACHMENT, TO SURPRISE AND CAPTURE THE ENTIRE ENEMY FORCE AT THE BATTLE OF BEAVER DAMS ON JUNE 24, 1813, THEREBY MARKING THE TURNING POINT IN THE WAR OF 1812. 

TO PERPETUATE HER MEMORY

Lock 25 is a reminder of the extensive canal system that once existed and ran through the town of Thorold. It was highest escarpment lock on the Second Welland Canal and was opened in 1845. In the 1960s the canal was drained and filled in, and the park was created.

A plaque and monument commemorating the Founding of the Welland Canal is also onsite. The stone cairn was erected by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in 1924. It commemorates the turning of the first sod for the Welland Canal at Allanburg on November 30, 1824. The honor fell to George Keefer of Thorold, President of the Welland Canal Company, who had accompanied William Hamilton Merritt and others on an exploratory survery of the canal line in 1818. The canal opened in 1829, five years to the day from the sod turning ceremony. 

The "JB" Stone is believed to have come from the Thorold Cement Works that stood beside the Second Welland Canal, and is approximately two meters long. It was founded in 1840. The initials JB remain a mystery. They may stand for the Thorold Cement Works founder John Brown, or John Battle, who acquired the site in 1876 from Brown, or possibly one of John Battle's sons, James or Joseph.

The Thorold Millennium Cairn is also located in the park.

Recreational

Further Information

Heritage Thorold, Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee, (LACAC)  

Heritage Thorold (LACAC). Thorold: A Selection of Heritage Buildings and Sites. 2006.    

This is also available as a free booklet at the following three locations.  Call ahead for hours and availability:

City of Thorold's municipal office at 3540 Schmon Parkway (905) 227-6613.  8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday - Friday.  It's available in a pamphlet rack located to the right of the front door, across from the receptionist's desk.

Lock 7 Tourist Centre

Thorold Public Library 

This webpage was prepared by Cavelle Schmid and Kristin Atkinson in December 2009, and updated by Angela VanGoolen and David Brown in 2013. Photos by Cavelle Schmid and Kristin Atkinson. Thanks to the staff at Brock University for their help in the creation of this page.