Description of Historic Place

Vrooman’s Battery National Historic Site of Canada is located north of the village of Queenston, Ontario on the western bank of the Niagara River. Set on Vrooman’s Point, now on private property, the site overlooks the Niagara River from a strategic position. Vrooman’s Battery was an important site during the Battle of Queenston Heights in the War of 1812, and now consists of a slight mound on the edge of the bank of the river. Official recognition refers to the remains of the battery on its footprint.

Heritage Value

Vrooman’s Battery was designated a national historic site of Canada in 1921 because:
- this battery was engaged in the battle of Queenston Heights on 13 October 1812, commanding the Niagara River, its continuous fire provided the British with cover.

On 13 October 1812, American forces crossed the Niagara River at Queenston and occupied the heights above the village. A subsequent counter-attack, during which the commander of the British forces, Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, was killed, failed to dislodge the Americans. Soon after, British reinforcements climbed the escarpment to the west, drove the Americans from their position, and defeated them. The battery located on Soloman Vrooman’s land on the Niagara River, consisted of a 24-pounder gun battery mounted within a crescent-shaped earthwork. Manned by Captain Samuel Hatt's 5th Lincoln (Militia) Regiment and a small party of the Lincoln Militia Artillery under Lieutenant John Ball during the battle, the battery maintained a harassing fire on the American forces crossing the river.

Sources: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, Minutes, May 1921; March 2009.

Character-Defining Elements

Key elements contributing to the heritage value of this site include:
- its location on Vrooman’s Point near Queenston, Ontario;
- its setting on a semi-rural, now residential, landscape on the western bank of the Niagara River;
- the elevated position of the site which offers an expansive view of the Niagara River, attesting to the strategic position of the battery;
- the small mound and its footprint representing the remains of the gun battery;
- the integrity of any surviving or as yet unidentified archaeological remains which may be found within the site in their original placement and extent;
- viewscapes from the site on the Niagara River.