Point Frederick (Kingston, Ontario) facts for kids
Point Frederick is a piece of land shaped like a finger (a peninsula) in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. It's about 41 hectares (101 acres) in size. This peninsula sits at the southern end of the Rideau Canal. Here, Lake Ontario flows into the St. Lawrence River.
Point Frederick has the Cataraqui River (Kingston Harbour) on its west side. The St. Lawrence River is to its south, and Navy Bay is to its east. The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) is located on this peninsula. Many buildings on Point Frederick, including the old naval dockyard, are important historical places. Fort Frederick, at the southern tip, is part of the Kingston Fortifications National Historic Site.
The peninsula was named after Frederick, Prince of Wales.
Contents
History of Point Frederick
Early Settlement and French Influence
Long ago, Indigenous people lived in this area. They called it "Cataraqui." The first Europeans to arrive were the French. In 1673, they built Fort Frontenac across the river. The French called Point Frederick "Pointe de Montreal."
Later, the British took control of the area after the Seven Years' War. This war was a big conflict between European powers. The area, which became Kingston, welcomed Loyalists. These were people who supported Britain during the American Revolution and moved to Canada.
In 1783, officials looked at the Cataraqui area for a good place to build a settlement. Governor Haldimand liked Point Frederick best. However, the settlement was built on the west side of the river instead.
In 1789, Point Frederick became a naval base. This happened when the Provincial Marine moved here from Carleton Island. It was the main base for the Provincial Marine until 1813. Then, the Royal Navy took over from 1813 to 1853.
During the War of 1812, Point Frederick was a very important dockyard. Ships were built and repaired here. From this base, attacks were launched against American bases. These included Sackets Harbor and Oswego.
A special plaque was put up in 2013 to remember the War of 1812. It explains how important Point Frederick was. The St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario were like a highway. They were used to move soldiers and supplies. Controlling Lake Ontario gave a big advantage in the war.
In 1812, the Provincial Marine had only four ships. But after May 1813, the Royal Navy took command. Under Commodore Sir James Yeo, the dockyard grew very fast. By the end of 1814, the Kingston Dockyard had built the largest naval fleet on the Great Lakes. This included the huge flagship St. Lawrence and many other ships.
After the War and the Royal Military College
In 1838, there were some rebellions in Canada. The Royal Navy and Royal Marines were active at Point Frederick. They even fought in the Battle of the Windmill at Prescott in 1839. An artist named Lieutenant Philip John Bainbrigge painted a picture in 1841. It showed the buildings at Point Frederick, including the Stone Frigate. The Royal Naval Dockyard closed in 1853.
Because Kingston had a strong military history, Point Frederick was chosen in 1875. It became the home of Canada's first military college. This was the Royal Military College of Canada (RMC). The old dockyard buildings were changed. The Stone Frigate became classrooms, dorms, and dining halls.
Point Frederick was a good choice because it was a narrow piece of land. This made it easy to control who came and went. The college officially opened in 1876. Many of the old buildings are still used by RMC today.
Fort Frederick and College Development
On the southern part of the peninsula, a blockhouse was built in 1813. This was a small fort. It was taken down in the 1840s. A new, round fort called a Martello tower was built in its place. This was Fort Frederick, rebuilt in 1846. Today, this tower is home to the Royal Military College of Canada Museum. The fort is part of the Kingston Fortifications National Historic Site.
In 1875, leaders decided that college buildings should look similar. Most new buildings were made of limestone. An observatory was built in 1885. Between 1885 and 1890, a boardwalk was added. A rough breakwater was also built near the old wharf. Two tennis courts were built near the gymnasium.
In 1909, sixteen small houses were built for staff. These were called Rideout Row. They replaced older naval cottages. Also in 1909, two squash courts were built by Navy Bay.
In 1918, a temporary wooden building was put up. It was used as a gym for a naval college. This was for cadets who lost their homes in the Halifax Explosion of 1917.
Modern Changes and Expansion
After a fire in 1931, the administration building was rebuilt. It was made bigger to hold a larger library. Men from an unemployment relief camp helped with this work. They also built a mechanical engineering building and a physics building. These were made of cement blocks, not limestone. In 1933, the boathouse was rebuilt after a fire.
The workers also dug the foundation for Yeo Hall. This building, finished in 1935–1936, has a dining hall and a gym. The south part of Fort Frederick dormitory was added. It is now called Fort La Salle. It connects to Yeo Hall with an archway. In 1936, workers started digging for the Fort Haldimand dormitory. However, the relief camp closed that year, and the digging stopped.
Before 1977, many sports fields were part of Navy Bay. Between 1977 and 1979, some land was filled in from Navy Bay. New playing fields were built on this reclaimed land.
