Nestled in the township of North Dundas, within the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, Chesterville, Ontario is a quaint village that offers a unique blend of history and charm. Located north of Morrisburg, west of Cornwall and south-east of Ottawa, Chesterville is situated along the picturesque South Nation River.
The land that would eventually become Dundas County was granted in 1784 to United Empire Loyalists, many of whom had fought with the King's Royal Regiment of New York during the American Revolution. Chesterville's first settlement was located along the South Nation River on Lots 17 and 18, in Concession 4 of Winchester Township, originally formed in 1798. The plot of land was initially granted to Marianne Duncan, the daughter of UE Loyalist Captain Richard Duncan, in 1797.
Chesterville pioneer George Hummel purchased the west half of the property from Marianne's estate in either 1817 or 1822/1823 and erected a mill, while John Pliny Crysler purchased the east half of the lot. The loft of Hummell's homestead served as the local gathering place during the early years of the village, with political meetings often held there. Much of the land Hummel initially purchased was eventually sold off to pioneering settlers, often for a low price. The land on which the community hall currently stands was once sold by Hummel for a "single barrel of whiskey".
In 1825, two Merkley brothers travelled down the Nation River with plans to establish a mill on the banks of the river near Hummell's property. Tragically, both men drowned on their return trip from Waddington, New York, where they had gone to secure supplies for a raising bee. Around 1828, Thomas Armstrong and his son John established a saw mill and later a grist mill on land purchased from George Hummell that the Merkley's had intended to use. By 1838, it had attracted many settlers to the area, and the settlement was subsequently named Armstrong's Mills. The original mills built by Armstrong burned in a fire around 1867.
In the early days, the post and mail had to be collected by individuals from the mail office in Morrisburg or Cornwall. However, in 1845, a post office was opened in the village under the name of Winchester, and the mail was delivered by horseback from Morrisburg. Historical records suggest that although the post office and village were officially named Winchester, the community was known locally as Chesterville as early as the 1840s, and for a short time as Hummelville. The name East Winchester also seems to have been used during the 1860s and 1870s. The Canada Directory of 1857-58 notes that Chesterville “has a large trade with the surrounding country which is well settled. It has a tri-weekly mail and a population of about 500”.
In July 1872, a telegraph office was opened in the village. To avoid confusion with many local communities that included the name Winchester, the Montreal Telegraph Company suggested that the name of the village be changed. After a petition was circulated, the name was officially changed to Chesterville in 1875. In 1887, the Canadian Pacific Railway opened a station in the town, leading to further settlement and incorporation as a village in 1890. The town hall, built in 1867, has served various purposes over the years, including a fire hall, jailhouse, court house, and movie theatre. Today, it serves as the heritage center and village museum.
On 6 April 1909, part of Chesterville's business section was destroyed by fire. The fire started at the north-east corner of King and Water Streets in a wooden-framed building that contained the tailor shop of W. J. Nash on the first floor and the Masonic Hall on the second. The flames travelled in two directions: East down Water Street to the Chesterville Record office, destroying the printing presses; and North up King Street, jumping from one building to the next until it reached Ralph Street.
The village could do very little to stop it, as they had only one hand pump and pails for water. This was the second major fire that they had seen in a short period; exactly three weeks earlier on 16 March, fire broke out at the North end of King Street, burning down the Temperance Hotel and Foster's Hall and damaging the CPR train station and water tower. Following these incidents, the village quickly took steps to improve their fire protection. In May, a by-law was prepared by the village council to mandate that only "fireproof" buildings (such as brick and stone) could be constructed in the business section of town. In the summer of 1909, the village purchased a steam pumper fire engine. Frank McCloskey was appointed fire chief and formed a brigade. However, the first fire hydrants were not installed in the village until 1916, when Hires Condensed Milk Co. (later Nestle) installed a water main along Queen and Main Streets.
After losing their printing presses in the fire, the Chesterville Record staff worked from a temporary office in Thomas McMahon's blacksmith shop on Main Street south of the CPR line. They resumed printing on 6 May 1909. Because they were so quick to return to business, news articles and advertisements exist that tell the progress of the town's recovery from this disaster. In the year that followed, new buildings were erected to replace those that were lost.
Between January 4 and 10, 1998, over 80 millimeters of freezing rain fell in the area, greatly damaging the power grid and infrastructure. Hydro poles and power lines were crumpled and broken. Shelters were established throughout North Dundas, and Chesterville hosted 100 beds, 75 at the Fawcet Pub, and 25 at the Legion Hall. The village power grid was restored on January 10, but many individual homes were without power for further days. 114 soldiers from the Royal Canadian Dragoons were billeted at North Dundas District High School during Operation Recuperation, the largest peacetime deployment of the Canadian Army. Prime Minister Jean Chretien visited the area along with Ontario Premier Mike Harris.
Located in the township of North Dundas, Ontario, Chesterville is bordered by North Stormont to the north-east, Winchester to the west, South Dundas to the south, and Russell to the north. The village is surrounded by several small settlements and hamlets that comprise the larger Chesterville District: Connaught, Limerick, The Boyne, Forward, Maple Ridge, Nation Valley, Bethune Bush, and Dunbar (part of South Dundas).
Chesterville is home to several community groups, including the Chesterville and District Agricultural Society, the Rotary Club of Chesterville, the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No.434, the Chesterville and District Historical Society, the Chesterville and District Lions Club, the Nation Valley Snowmobile Association, and the Chesterville Kayak Club.
Chesterville hosts several community events throughout the year, including the Chesterville Fair, Art on the Waterfront, Meet Me on Main Street, the Rotary Duck Race, Remembrance Day, and the Santa Claus Breakfast.
Chesterville is home to several landmarks, including the Nestlé factory, the Clock Tower, the Chesterville Bridge, and several murals. The Nestlé factory, which opened in 1918 as The Maple Leaf Condensed Milk Company, operated in Chesterville until 2006. The Chesterville “clock tower” was unveiled on July 8, 2000, as part of a millennial project by the Rotary Club of Chesterville. The Chesterville Bridge, built in 1888 to cross the Nation River and connect both sides of town, was replaced by a larger concrete bridge on November 21, 1950. The village also boasts several murals, including the Scotiabank Mural and the “Chesterville: Years Gone By” Mural.
