Glenview Mansion, Niagara Falls

Glenview Mansion, also known as the "haunted house" by some, is a beautiful Victorian mansion in Niagara Falls, built around 1865 by John Drew. The mansion was situated on an 85-acre estate, including fields, orchards, vineyards, stables, tennis courts, and a grist mill. The property stretched from River Road all the way west to Victoria Avenue and from the rail yards north as far as the Whirlpool. Glenview Mansion has had three prominent owners who played an essential role in the history of Niagara Falls.

John Drew, a masonry contractor who built Clifton Town Hall in front of the present Niagara Falls city hall, was the first owner of the mansion. He also served several terms as a Clifton town councillor in 1860. Dr. John Ferguson was the second owner of the mansion. He was a Conservative MP for Niagara Falls from 1882 to 1891, and after that, he was appointed to the Canadian Senate. Dr. Ferguson was described as "wealthy, well-travelled, suave and generous," and he "entertained lavishly, holding dress balls and garden parties." The third owner, Robert P. Slater, was a wealthy businessman and mayor of Niagara Falls. Mr. Slater divided the Glenview estate into lots with the streets we know today and played a key role in bringing industry and hydro-electric development to the City of Niagara Falls.

Apart from its prominent links to civic history, Glenview Mansion also has a macabre reputation. There are rumours of two murders that took place just outside the mansion, which gave rise to reports of mysterious apparitions that haunt its grounds. According to the first story, a thief tried to sell the mansion (which he didn't own) to a recent immigrant, which ultimately led to the murder of one of the protagonists. The second story concerns the murder of a man and woman who attended a party at Glenview and were waiting in the driveway for their horse-drawn carriage when they were attacked and killed. According to local legend, locals have seen apparitions of a horse-drawn carriage coming up the main driveway and trails of blood streaming down the driveway on the anniversary of their murder. Despite these rumours, Glenview Mansion remains a prominent historical landmark in Niagara Falls.