Flamborough’s Mill Street & 5 American House has been a staple in the community for a couple of centuries.
Since opening in the iconic stone building in the village core in 1824, the pub has been serving up food, beer and, at one time, a place for travellers to rest their heads – and horses. On Aug. 17, the bar's owners and staff are celebrating its 200th anniversary.
“It’s going to be a 12-hour event, we’re closing off the whole patio,” Barry Kay, co-owner of the American House said. “We’ll have bands in the parking lot, and it’ll be a get-together.”
Kay added the pub is expecting some fan favourite acts to return for the bar’s birthday party for 30- or 45-minute sets.
A Mill Street Brewery truck will be parked in the lot as well, operating as a bar for the duration of the party, co-owner Drew Paget said.
“We’ll have a dunk tank and a few charity booths for rescue dogs set up,” Paget said. “We’ll have tables and chairs, and things for kids like face painting, cotton candy, popcorn; hopefully it’s not going to rain."
A modified menu will also be on offer for visitors.
The invited guests are only a few of those expected to attend, as there have been reports of spectres roaming around in the historic building through the years.
“I’ve seen them,” long-time employee Rob Harding said. “We used to have rooms upstairs, and in the hallway there was a fire door. I was upstairs alone, and I heard the door open. I heard footsteps, someone walking downstairs, but there was nobody there.”
That is not the only time a ghost has been spotted on the premises.
A ghost hunter TV program came to film in the bar, and said they identified eight or nine spirits, including a young girl who was run over by a horse, a boy flying around the back room, and a woman wearing Victorian-era clothes standing in the corner.
“A few people have driven by the bar at night, and said what are you doing open at 3 a.m.?” Harding said. “They say someone is standing behind the bar, but when they do a double-take there is nobody there.”
The upper floor of the American House used to operate a hotel that served as a stop for travellers, primarily from Toronto to London, in the early days of the bar’s existence. Stagecoach and horse riders could hitch their animals inside as they got a bed and a bite to eat.
Today, the second storey is used as office space.
“We’re hoping to get people out to celebrate the oldest building in the area, and probably one of the oldest continuously run hotels and restaurants, because it’s always been open except for prohibition,” Kay said.
The building has seen its share of changes through the years. Aside from the former stable that now serves as a dining area, there used to be separate dining areas for men and women.
When The Governor’s Road – now called Dundas Street – expanded through Waterdown, Ebenezer Culver Griffin opened the hotel and bar in close proximity to the railroad and nearby Grindstone Creek. Opposite to the bar stood a general store, believed to have been in operation for six years from 1824 to 1830.
“There’s a lot of history in this building,” Kay said. “You can see aspects of it with the old archway, where the horses used to come through.”
It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly when aspects of the building were altered, as most records only include months, or even just the years, as opposed to specific dates.
A fire also destroyed some records, making it even more difficult to date aspects of the building.
“We know it took two years for them to build the building,” co-owner Melanie Kay said.
The Kays have owned the American House since 2012, the latest in a list of approximately 20 owners through the years. The original owner of the land, Alex MacDonell, bought 200 acres from the Crown in 1796.
The birthday party for one of Flamborough’s oldest commercial establishments kicks off Aug. 17 at noon.
