Durand

 

Durand contains some of the finest examples of residential architecture in Hamilton.

It is bounded by Queen Street to the west, Main Street to the north, James Street South to the east and the Niagara Escarpment the South.

"The Durand neighbourhood began in 1791 as 274 acres owned by a few wealthy speculators, including George Hamilton who founded the city. Interestingly, James Durand, for whom the neighbourhood is named never actually owned any of this property. (Peace, 1996)

From the 1840s to the mid 1870s the population of the Durand exploded from just a few buildings to being over fifty percent developed by the mid 1870s and fully developed by the end of the 19th century. (Peace, 1996; Peace, 2012)

Of course, during this time the use of the land moved out of the hands of only wealthy speculators and the trend of Durand being a very economically diverse area began. This continues today as you walk from Main Street West toward the base of the escarpment, the single family homes grow exponentially in size, as do the pocket books of their owners. (Peace, 1996)"

By: Ashleigh Patterson & Geoff Rose

 

Whitehern House