Cultural Landmarks of Hamilton-Wentworth

Custom House

Location:  51 Stuart Street, Hamilton, Ontario

The history of the Custom House dates back to 1855 when the United Province of Canada's legislative assembly authorized the construction of the building in Hamilton to handle the trade flowing through the Port of Hamilton and along the new Great Railway line. The building was commissioned by Sir Allan MacNab.

Skilled workers, under the direction of architect Frederick James Rastrick, completed construction of the two-storey building which cost $40,000 in 1860.. The Customs Department, consisting of a staff of seventeen men, began working in the new building not long after. At this time, the custodian of the building, hired as a caretaker and messenger, moved into a small apartment within the Custom House with his family.

The building was described as being "an ornament to the city and a credit to the Commerce of Canada" by the Hamilton Spectator. Its banisters, rails and stairs were all made of highly polished oak and gas and water lines were installed. The high quality of workmanship is still evident in the use of ashlar masonry on all four facades, the richly varied types of hammered and vermiculited surfaces and the skillful carving of architectural details and decoration. The Custom House represents the style of public buildings throughout British colonial settlements in the 18th and 19th centuries and is an authentic example of one of Britain's most dynamic and popular architectural styles of the early Victorian Period, the Italian Renaissance Revival. Interestingly, the Custom House is of significance not only because it was a relatively uncommon type of building to be constructed in 19th century Ontario, but also because it was a federal building commissioned prior to Confederation.

In 1887, the Custom Department moved out of the building, as did the custodian and his family. The offices of the Customs Department relocated to the Post Office on King and John Streets. That same year, the Hamilton Board of Education rented the building to use as classroom space for nearby Murray Street School. The backyard of the Custom House was also used as a playground for children at the school. During this time, the custodian of the Murray Street School moved into the building and lived there for twenty years. In 1888, night classes begin at the Custom House for children who had to work during the day.

The Hamilton YWCA rented the Custom House in 1893 to open a North End Branch of their organization. They moved out in 1904 and relocated in the former Hamilton Street Railway offices.

In 1908, the Associated Charities of Hamilton took over the Custom House to provide accommodation for the homeless, especially recent British immigrants. Hoboes who had been riding the rails also found shelter in the Custom House, bedding down for the night in its basement.

It may have been around this time that rumours of a ghost in the Custom House began circulating. People reported that the ghost of a woman dressed in black could occasionally be seen wandering the basement of the building. The ghost was said to be that of a woman who had an affair with the captain of the ship, who brought her to Canada. As the story goes, she died on the voyage and the captain buried her in a vault in the wall of the basement of the Custom House.

By 1912, the Custom House was empty and in bad shape. The roof leaked, windows were broken and the gas and water lines had been torn out. A vinegar factory temporarily moved into the building, but was replaced by the Woodhouse Invigorator Company and the American Computing Company in 1915. Neither of these two companies stayed for long though and in 1917, the Ontario Yarn Company moved in.

In the 1920's, a fire on the second floor of the Custom House destroyed the roof and attic of the building. In the rebuilding, a third floor was added inside the original walls.

In 1956, the Naples Macaroni Company was opened at the Custom House by the Reio family. Most of the workers at the factory were women living in the neighbourhood. The company, besides making spaghetti, also packed olives in the basement and rented space on the first floor to a doughnut manufacturer.

The Health Department closed down the Naples Macaroni Company in 1979, and for several years the Custom House was up for sale as it sat empty and in need of repair. The estimated cost to repair the building at the time of its closure was $500,000.

In 1985, Theatre Aquarius considered purchasing the Custom House, to develop it into a six hundred-seat theatre. These plans fell through when the necessary funds could not be raised in time.

On December 16, 1986, a martial arts instructor, Mr. Don Warrener, announced a $1.2 million plan to restore the Custom House and turn it into a national martial arts college. Mr. Warrener had been considering establishing such a college, modeled after the National Ballet School, for years and would bring instructors from Japan and North America to teach Japanese martial arts including karate, kukitsu, kendo and judo to people who wished to become professional instructors. The college would also offer the computer and business-related courses necessary for instructors to run a martial arts studio. $400,000 was given to Warrener by the government to restore the building as a heritage site.

Mr. Warrener purchased the building and began renovations almost immediately. Volunteers were called upon to donate equipment which a large group of martial arts students used to clean and repair parts of the building. Work was done on repairing the ceilings, walls, doors, windows, plumbing and wiring. The staircase also went through some extensive restoration. Tradesmen and professionals were hired for any special jobs the restoration required. The Ontario Heritage Foundation awarded money to Mr. Warrener for the work being done on the building. Warrener also received the prestigious Canada Parks Service Heritage Award, the highest accolade the country gives for such restorations.

Mr. Warrener attempted to clean up the Custom House in more ways than one, as the area surrounding the building was known to be a gathering spot for local prostitutes who would often solicit customers right out front of the Custom House. Warrener, on several occasions, asked the prostitutes to leave, but they refused. One night in particular, he argued with a few of them and reportedly made hand gestures at one of the prostitutes called Fat Fran, saying "Bang, bang; you're dead." Police were called to the scene by Fat Fran, who said she had been threatened with a gun. Upon searching Warrener, officers could find no such weapon. No charges were laid by the prostitutes, but Warrener still tried to make peace with them, offering them free karate lessons if they promised to give up prostitution. They refused.

In June, 1991, the price of the building rose to $2.5 million and was costing more than $10,000 per month in mortgage payments and other expenses. Although Mr. Warrener did succeed in restoring the building, his karate empire, consisting of twenty-five stores across the province, could simply not afford to spend any more money on it. Warrener discovered that his college would be unable to gain provincial accreditation as a public or private school because the martial arts did not fit any existing educational category. After using the Custom House as the head office of his franchise for a while, Mr. Warrener decided to put the building up for sale and called Donald Trump in New York to see if he was interested in purchasing it. He refused.

In early 1992, Royal Trust opted to sell the Custom House by power of sale for just over $800,000. The building was purchased by a computer company called Nebula CAD Systems in October, 1992, for $475,000. Less than a year later though the building was up for sale again after the computer company went bankrupt.

In 1994, it was announced that the Ontario Workers' Arts and Heritage Centre would move into the Custom House. The provincial government agreed to pay for the purchase of the building, transferring ownership to the labour council who leased it to the Workers' Arts and Heritage Centre.

On May 7, 1995, an opening ceremony for the museum was held. At 1:30pm, a walking tour retraced the route of the 1872 Nine-Hour march, followed by the unveiling of a plaque to commemorate the struggle for a nine-hour work day. A few speeches were read and at 4pm people were shown around the inside of the Custom House, before it was to undergo serious renovation. On November 8, 1996 the Ontario Workers' Arts and Heritage Centre re-opened, housing a permanent historical exhibit, a library and gift shop, as well as ongoing exhibits showcasing political, historical and cultural aspects of the working life of union and non-union workers alike.

References:
Clipping File.  Hamilton - Museums - Workers' Arts & Heritage Centre.   Special Collections, HPL.
Custom House Scrapbook.  Special Collections, HPL.
Our Heritage Scrapbook, v.5, p. 79.  Special Collections, HPL.
Prostitution Scrapbook, v.1, p. 57.  Special Collections, HPL.
Theatre Aquarius Scrapbook, v. 2.  Special Collections, HPL.

Link:
Ontario Workers Arts and Heritage Centre