Hamilton's First Waterworks

Hamilton's first waterworks, a magnificent structure built by Thomas Coltin Keefer between 1856 and 1859, now houses the Museum of Steam & Technology.

Let me start by saying this is a sweet visit! $3.50 gets you in for a tour of the former boiler room and pumphouse. You start in the basement and make your way up to an upper level. Only the top level is off limits due to liability with the low railings (dammit). I had seen some pictures online and knew I had to go. Talk about a steampunk wet dream. The Victorians may have had a shoddy record as far as work safety, but damn they did public works architecture proper.

This structure houses two preserved 45 foot high, 70-ton steam engines, one of which is demonstrated each visit. The inside is just beautiful, with curved wooden railings, tall colorful pillars and polished metal everywhere.

The works was responsible for bringing clean water to Hamilton for the first time. It is the only surviving facility of it's time in North America and is noted as Canada's most significant group of pre-Confederation pumphouse buildings.

Just as fascinating is the history provided by the tour guide in an adjacent building. The technology used at the time was cutting edge and this must have been a work of mammoth proportions and planning, yet the concepts used were so simple and ingenious.

I highly recommend this to anyone interested in history, who appreciates old architecture, or just wants some vintage technological eye candy. Your camera will thank you.

i(shootthings) noticed there are a few other buildings on the property and not too much explained except for the other old waterworks building next door. It was built in 1913. As the City Of Hamilton grew, larger facilities were needed. The 1913 building next door is vacant but used as some kind of pseudo storage currently and they have the odd event there at night that involved hard hats and flashlights. It is VERY INFEQUENTLY OPEN for events is essentially it. I peeked thru the windows and there is more original equipment in there as well as an array of some kind of model train storage. The equipment there is of interest to me as well. Some kind of model of the pumphouse as well.