Montebello Park Bandstand ~ The T. Roy Bandshell - St Catherines, Ontario, Canada
N 43° 09.469 W 079° 15.075
17T E 642173 N 4779824
This bandstand is located in Montebello Park on Ontario Street in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Waymark Code: WM6RMB
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 07/14/2009
Views: 8
The Montebello Park bandstand is added to the park in 1904 and is built by Edwin C. Nicholson. The bandstand is modelled after the one built for the Pan American Exhibition in Buffalo.
The bandstand is dedicated August 27, 2002 by Major, Council and the Citizens of St. Catharines in honour of former Mayor T. Roy Adams (1977-1985) and carries now the name The T. Roy Adams Bandshell.
Montebello Park
Montebello Park is located on Ontario Street, in the heart of the downtown area.
History
The park, covering 6.5 acres, is unique and historically significant. The property was originally deeded in 1796 as a Crown Grant to Robert Hamilton. In 1820, the property was sold to William Hamilton Merritt, founder of the Welland Canal. After passing through the hands of several members of the Merritt family, W.H. Merritt Jr. purchased the site and named it Monte Bello, meaning beautiful mountain.
In 1887 the City of St. Catharines purchased the site and it became the first public park in the city. Frederick Law Olmstead, considered the founder of the landscape architecture, was commissioned to design the park. Olmstead had achieved wide acclaim as planner of New York’s Central Park, the grounds of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and the Boston Parks System.
In 1888, a pavilion was built on the foundation of the original Merritt estate. In 1904, a covered circular bandstand modelled after the one built for the Pan American Exhibition in Buffalo was constructed in the park by Edwin Nicholson, Builder of the Henley Grandstand in Port Dalhousie. The pavilion and bandstand have been designated as structures important under the Ontario Heritage Act. Other attractions include the original commemorative rose garden and ornamental fountain. This is the city’s largest rose collection with more than 1,300 bushes in 25 varieties. It is an area of enchanting beauty and a source of enjoyment for visitors to the park.
The park functions as a social and historical focal point within St. Catharines, and hosts many cultural and social activities.
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