Historic Downtown

Port Hope's Historic Downtown is the old commercial centre of a small town on the north shore of Lake Ontario, about an hour east of Toronto. It is centred on Walton Street, which is often described as one of the best-preserved main streets in Ontario. The buildings, mostly of brick and stone from the nineteenth century, line a gently sloping street that runs down toward the Ganaraska River and the harbour. Because the district escaped heavy redevelopment, the storefronts, cornices and upper-floor windows survive in a state that makes it easy to picture the town in its prosperous years.

The town was named after Henry Hope, an early lieutenant governor of Quebec, and it grew as a lakeside port and milling centre. Grain, timber and other goods went out by water, and the river powered mills. In the later nineteenth century wealthy American families made Port Hope a summer retreat, and some of the substantial homes and estates date from that time. A town like this was rebuilt in good materials, and the result today is a cohesive streetscape of commercial blocks, churches, civic buildings and houses of many styles from Georgian and Regency to Victorian, typical of nineteenth-century Canadian towns.

Visitors can explore by following the Heritage Walking Tours, which have printed and digital maps, or by driving the Historic Rural Driving Tours that lead into the countryside beyond the town. The walking route takes in restored shopfronts, the former banks and hotels on and around Walton Street, and notable houses. Hotel Carlyle is one of the landmarks named along the way, and the Capitol Theatre, a 1930s theatre on Walton Street, is another. The old Town Hall and the Port Hope Art Gallery are nearby, and the Port Hope Public Library sits close to the main street.

The town also has a link to showbusiness history. William Hunt, the nineteenth-century tightrope walker and showman known as the Great Farini, grew up in this area, and local tours sometimes mention him. The Ganaraska River, which runs through the town, is known for its autumn salmon runs, and the Ganaraska River Trail gives a pleasant walk along it. East Beach and the harbour area are a short distance south.

A visit is easy and informal. The district can be walked in an hour or two, longer if you stop in the independent shops, cafes and galleries. It suits those who like architecture, local history and small-town atmosphere, and it works well as a stop on a drive between Toronto and Kingston. Come on a weekday for quiet streets, or on a summer weekend for the markets and events.