KAWARTHA LAKES-By the 1850s, Fenelon Falls could be reached by steamship (occasionally at least), which in 1857 would connect via railway to the cities on Lake Ontario—making long distance travel to the village much easier than in the age of canoes and rough colonial roads. These improvements meant that Fenelon Falls could be reached in a few hours from Lindsay, a trip that might have taken a day a few years earlier. Nevertheless, when travellers reached Fenelon Falls, they needed a place to stay. In 1854, William Martin opened the Clifton House on the cliffs overlooking Fenelon Falls from the north shore. It was common to build hotels in conspicuous locations, close to transportation routes—and this location met both criteria, being directly above the village’s lower wharf, while affording a great view of one of the most striking natural features in the province. It had 24 guest rooms, plus sitting rooms and a bar—where the Fenelon Falls Gazette was founded in 1873.
In 1870, R.C. Smith’s lumber company took over management of the site, using it to house their workers. As it was no longer necessary to attract tourists, its condition was allowed to deteriorate and by 1900 it stood vacant. By then, R.C. Smith had passed away, and his sawmill had burned. In the half century that had passed, Fenelon Falls had come to be served by railways and much more reliable steamship service, and was part of the newly christened Kawartha Lakes tourist region. In the late Victorian era, many more visitors came to Fenelon Falls.
Beginning in 1902, the old Clifton House was completely renovated, adding beautiful new verandahs and running water—which was a novelty in that era! The interior was updated with new doors, sash and staircases from the village’s Sandford Furniture Factory. Renamed Hotel Kawartha, it became the landmark and destination that the building had been originally intended to be. In the 1930s, it was renamed the Alpine Inn, then the Anchorage House in the 1960s. By then, fewer visitors came to stay in hotels, as ever more families built their own cottages. Kathie and Sandie Pavelek bought the property once again renamed it the Inn on the Cliff—though most locals continued to call it the Alpine Inn.
Hotel Kawartha Seen from Fire Tower
About 5 pm on February 19, 1970, a fire started in the basement of the historic hotel, and the Fenelon Falls Fire Department rushed to the scene. Though the village had recently acquired a back-up pumper, it was soon realized that the community’s two local fire engines had little hope of extinguishing the blaze, so they called Lindsay, Bobcaygeon and Little Britain for help. On that bitterly cold night, the flames lit up the sky, as a large crowd gathered and residents feared that the blaze would spread to neighbouring buildings. It would be a very memorable night for the firefighters, who were soaking wet and freezing. John Bailey recalled, ““It was cold! You could take your coat off and stand it up on the corner, it was so stiff.”
Around 9:30 pm, part of the north east section of the roof collapsed, and five firemen standing on a lower portion of the north roof suddenly had to jump off to escape. Two sustained minor injuries—a cut lip and a cut forehead. As the firefighters were doing their best, the neighbours did what they could to help too, bringing sandwiches and coffee. It proved to be a stubborn blaze, because the building was made of stacked lumber. Though it seemed that the fire was extinguished that night, neighbour Dave Kish recalls that for a few days afterwards it kept reigniting. When the smoke finally cleared, the building was beyond repair. The Paveleks had invested a lot of time and money refitting the building, but it could not be saved. Instead, the property was redeveloped as Cliffside Villa, which opened in 1977.
This story is part of our partnership with Maryboro Lodge, The Fenelon Falls Museum and was written by Glenn Walker.
If you want to make a donation to the museum, you can e-transfer to:Â [email protected]or mail a cheque to :
Maryboro Lodge Museum
Box 179
50 Oak Street
Fenelon Falls, ON
K0M 1N0
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