Ontario Abandoned Places will be rebranded as Ominous Abandoned Places

Merrickville Ruins

Abandoned Foundations in Subcounty, State, Country

Sep 07 2012

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Recent status Abandoned
Location # 5362

Built in 1844 -Woolen mill leased to Thomas Watchorn - later bought - ran until Nov. 1, 1954 - 106 years - standing on the upper floor, you could feel the floor move as the shuttles were thrown back and forth in the looms - there had been 2 fires and so the mortar had become unstable, resulting in its closure.

Comments

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12 years ago

Ok, last comment. Parks created a "stabilsed ruin" (their term) in 1982 by partially demolishing an important heritage building. Last year, they fenced-off the entire site after an engineering report suggested that the ruin was unstable and in danger of collapse. Irony anyone?

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12 years ago

The turbine and generator (dynamo, as some would have it) is one of two original units removed from the red brick building directly beside the "ruined" mill.

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12 years ago

It would be a different place if they had actually gone through with this (including a Rideau Canal Headquarters in the very "ruin" you have documented herein). But I digress...

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12 years ago

You are in Smiths Falls. Go to the Parks Canada Rideau Canal headquarters and discover for yourself. I recommend "Rideau Canal Site Survey 7", from June, 1976. This is one section of the Parks Canada master plan initially proposed for all of the sites along the Rideau Canal (including Ottawa, Merrickville, Smiths Falls, Kingston, etc.).

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12 years ago

Up until 1982, it was an intact building in very good repair. Parks decided to partially demolish it in order to create an "interpretive" ruin as part of the industrial island complex. The history of this site is very well documented (the first mill on the site dating back to the late 1780's, early 1790's).

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12 years ago

Yes. A woollen mill, to be precise. This 3-storey mill is a manufactured ruin courtesy of Parks Canada; created after they assumed control of the Rideau Canal (from the Dept of Transport).