The Southern Townships of Lennox and Addington County

The Original Township of Fredericksburgh

“Third Town of Cataraqui”

Boundaries were surveyed by November 1783 but the lot lines were not run until the following year

Settled in 1784 by the KRR NY, Butler’s Rangers and Jessup’s Rangers under Major James Rogers.

Named for Prince August Frederick, Duke of Sussex, ninth child of George III.

Total Area: 44,000 acres.

Fredericksburgh Additional

In order that all the veterans from The Rogers Corps. were accommodated in a single township,

land was taken from Adolphustown and added to Fredericksburgh.

The numbering of the original Fredericksburgh lots started at Lot 1 and continued eastward for 26 lots.

The numbering of the Township of Adolphustown lots also started with Lot 1 and extended westward for 33 lots.

When land was taken from Adolphustown the lot numbering remained,

but lots 1 to 12 were assigned to Fredericksburgh.

This portion of the former Adolphustown Township was later called 'Fredericksburgh Additional'.

North/South Division of Fredericksburgh

When Municipal Governments were formed, many townships had no halls or places of their own in which to hold council

or public meetings and taverns were used for this purpose.

Meetings alternated between the North and South parts of Fredericksburgh Township.

In the northern part of the township meetings were held at the Lucas Tavern, known as the

Dew Drop Inn north of Big Creek Bridge on Country Road #8.

In the southern part of the Township, meetings were held at Charters' Tavern in the community of Sillsville.

Both buildings still stand as residential homes.

Most people in the southern part of the Township traveled east to Bath for their supplies

whereas those living north of Big Creek shopped in Napanee.

As a result there was no great urgency by either the south or the north to properly maintain a connecting road.

This condition remained until the time of the county road system.

There was an on-going dispute as to where to hold council meetings and the tension increased

when a site for a permanent township building was discussed.

Thus it seemed reasonable at the time to solve the problem by separating into a North and South Township.

This occurred in 1857.

South Fredericksburgh Click map for larger view

North Fredericksburgh Click map for larger view

The Township of Adolphustown

“Fourth Town of Cataraqui”

Click map for larger view

Named for Adolphus, Duke of Cambridge,

tenth son of George III

First Loyalists arrived June 16, 1784.

11,500 acres

The AFHS celebrated the 240th anniversary of the founding of the townships of Adolphustown & Fredericksburgh by erecting signs marking boundaries of the three townships that now make up the southern region of Greater Napanee. The first sign was put in place in December 2024 with the remainder installed during the first weeks of January 2025. The official unveiling took place in on June 16, 2025, exactly 241 years after the United Empire Loyalists arrived at Adolphustown. This project was made possible through the generous support of Atura Power and the Town of Greater Napanee.

Adolphustown Township	Originally “Fourth Town,” settled by the U.E.L who landed June 16 1784. With 1998 Amalgamation it became part of the Town of Greater Napanee.	Adolphustown Village Adolphustown Township (South)	Originally called “Hollandsville”. John A. Macdonald attended the early village school. Although an exact date is not known, a post office was opened here ca1821 under James Watson. The village consisted of stores, a hotel, the town hall, a mill, a church, at least two cemeteries and numerous homes.
Anderson North Fredericksburgh Township	Little Creek Road West at County Road #9. Anderson Methodist/United Church was built on land donated by Thomas Anderson, and the area was commonly called “Anderson.”	Bardolph Adolphustown Township (North)	Located along the northern stretch of County Road #9. [Concession 5] The first post office was opened in May 1882 by H.B. Seeley.
Bay Centre North Fredericksburgh Township	Located along the southern stretch of County Road #9. A post office was opened here in 1909.	Bethany North Fredericksburgh Township	Located along the northern stretch of County Road #9. Once the site of a one-room school and a Methodist Church. The Church Cemetery is still active today.
Big Creek North Fredericksburgh Township	Located on Big Creek Road. Once the site of a one-room school (now a private residence.) Close’s Mills/Chambers is located on the east end.	Chambers/Close’s Mills North Fredericksburgh Township	Located just off Big Creek Road. The first Lutheran church in Ontario was built here in 1803. The cemetery remains. The post office was opened under William J. Chambers in 1879.
Clapham Fredericksburgh Township	Records show a post office opened in 1851 under Edward D. Lalanne and closed in 1854 when John Clapp was postmaster. Exact location has not yet been discovered.	Clappville Adolphustown and/or Fredericksburgh Township (South)	In 1844, a number of inhabitants of both Adolphustown and Fredericksburgh met at Robert Leach’s Inn to name the village in the 3^rd Concession. It was agreed that the village be “known as the name of Clappville”. No further references to the name have been found.
Clarksville North Fredericksburgh Township	A settlement on the south side of the Napanee River, Concession 7, established about 1785, when Robert Clark was commissioned to build a mill at the Napanee falls.	Conway South Fredericksburgh Township	The “Conway Post Office” was opened in 1860 under Edward Howard. It was closed in 1914. Formerly a thriving area, a popular stop for the early steamers, with a dock, warehouse, elevators, store, a cheese factory and a Methodist [United] church. The church and store remain active today.
Dorland Adolphustown Township (South)	Corner of County Road #8 and the South Shore of Hay Bay Road. Elias Clapp was the first postmaster, appointed in 1878. The P.O. closed in 1927.	Fredericksburgh (Village) South Fredericksburgh Township	Originally laid out as a townsite on the first concession, but was never developed. The post office was opened at an early date, with Anderson as P.M. In 1860, the P.O. was moved. Today, the village plot is part of “Sandhurst”.
Fredericksburgh Station North Fredericksburgh Township	Located at the eastern end of Big Creek Road. Original site of the Fredericksburgh train station.	Fredericksburgh Township	Originally “Third Town” Divided into North and South Fredericksburgh in 1859. The “Fredericksburgh Post Office” was in operation in the 1820s, located on the first concession. 1998 Amalgamation: part of the town of Greater Napanee.
Glen Island Adolphustown Township (south)	Originally known as “Hogs’ Island.” Formerly known as “Davy’s Island.” Located in the south west section of Bass Cove [Carnahan Bay]. Once a popular summer resort, with numerous cottages and a post office established in 1900. Privately owned today.	Gosport Adolphustown Township (North)	Situated in the western section of North Adolphustown, along County Road #9. Once the site of a church and a school. Nicholas Bogart was in charge of the first post office, opened in 1856. The P.O. closed in 1913.
Gretna North Fredericksburgh Township	Located along the northern stretch of County Road #9. The first post office was opened by Nelson Woodcock in 1856. It closed in 1914.	Hamburg South Fredericksburgh Township	Also known as “Ham’s Corners” in the early years. The area later known as “Hawley.” Was once the site of a one-room school and blacksmith shop. Named after the first postmaster, Richard Ham, appointed in 1851. The road going south out of Napanee (County Road #8) is known locally as the “Hamburg Road”.
Hawley South Fredericksburgh Township	The area along County Road #22. Hawley Methodist [United] Church is still standing and is privately owned. Named after the Hawley family. The Hamburg Post Office was renamed Hawley in 1876.	Hay Bay (north shore) North Fredericksburgh Township	Generally known as the area along the southern stretch of County Road #9, at the dividing line between North Fredericksburgh original & additional. A post office opened here with Nicholas Woodcock as Postmaster in 1875. The post office closed in 1914.
Hayburn South Fredericksburgh Township	Located at the northern end of Township Road #1 on the South Shore Road along Hay Bay. Once the site of a post office, established in 1886, a Methodist Church (now demolished) and a one-room school (now a private residence.) The Hay Bay Ferry docked here and ran across Hay Bay to North Fredericksburgh.	Hollandsville Adolphustown Township (South)	Original name of the village of Adolphustown, named after Surveyor-General Major Samuel Holland. The name was still being used in 1816 in the local papers.
Lenox/Lennox Fredericksburgh Township	A post office; in 1865 John C. Lucas was the postmaster. Exact location has not been confirmed.	Little Creek North Fredericksburgh Township	The community around “Little Creek.” A post office established in 1909 with Solomon Baldwin as postmaster. It closed in 1914.
Macdonald North Fredericksburgh Township	Named after Sir John A. Macdonald. Located along the northern stretch of County Road #9 [Concession 5.] The first postmaster was Goodfellow, appointed in 1883. The post office closed in 1913.	North Fredericksburgh Township	Originally part of “Fredericksburgh Township” [Third Town]. Divided into North and South in 1858. With 1998 Amalgamation became part of the town of Greater Napanee.
Parma South Fredericksburgh Township	The area on the second concession along County Road #8, in the general area of Township Road #1 and County Road #25. Once the site of a one-room school. A post office was opened here in 1857 under John C. Green, and closed in 1914.	Sandhurst South Fredericksburgh Township	Located on Highway #33 [Loyalist Parkway] and situated on the original village plan of Fredericksburgh. A new “Sandhurst” post office opened in 1869. The old one-room school and Sandhurst Public School are now both privately owned. St. Paul’s Anglican Church & Cemetery are still active. McDowall Memorial Presbyterian Church burned and is now a cemetery site Location of “Sandhurst Shores” subdivision.
Sillsville South Fredericksburgh Township	Previously site of the South Fredericksburgh Township Hall [demolished], the Sillsville Cheese Factory [burned] and the Sillsville Methodist/United Church which is now privately owned. Sillsville Cemetery is still active. A post office was opened in 1854 with George E. Sills, postmaster. It operated until 1970.	South Fredericksburgh Township	Originally part of “Fredericksburgh Township”[Third Town]. Divided into North and South in 1858. With 1998 Amalgamation became part of the town of Greater Napanee.
The Pines South Fredericksburgh Township	Located on the South Shore of Hay Bay near the junction of the South Shore Road and County Road #25 [the Gore Road]. Once the site of a “Union Church”. A post office opened under John Magee in 1893 and continued until 1914.	U.E. Loyalist Adolphustown Township (South)	In 1908, the “U.E. Loyalist Post Office” opened here with Mark Trumpour as postmaster; it closed in 1914. It was located on the 3^rd Concession Road. There are no records to indicate that it was actually considered a ‘hamlet.’

Hwy 33 at the Glenora Ferry, Adolphustown	THE ROYAL UNION FLAG 1707-1801 Originally designed in 1606, this flag was officially adopted in 1707 by England and Scotland as their royal standard at the time of the union of the thrones and parliaments of both countries. It consists of the blue background and white diagonal cross of St. Andrew, Patron Saint of Scotland, with superimposed the red cross of St. George, Patron Saint of England. The white piping is a heraldic device used to separate the blue and red portions. When the American Revolution began in 1775, many people remained loyal to the British crown. By the end of the war, most were compelled to leave the thirteen colonies. About 2000 of a much larger number settled the townships in and around this area. They and their descendants are known as United Empire Loyalists. This royal standard was their flag. ERECTED 1998 BY KINGSTON AND DISTRICT BRANCH OF THE UNITED EMPIRE LOYALISTS’ ASSOCIATION OF CANADA WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE ONTARIO HERITAGE FOUNDATION.
Hwy 33 at the Glenora Ferry, Adolphustown	BAY OF QUINTE LOYALIST SETTLEMENT This region was among the first in present day Ontario to receive loyalist settlers following the American Revolution. Surveying began in 1783 and by the following year five townships had been laid out between the Cataraqui River and the east end of the Isle of Quinte (Kingston, Ernestown, Fredericksburgh, Adolphustown and Marysburgh). Loyalist refugees and discharged soldiers arrived to take up land grants in these five Cataraqui townships in 1784. That same year Iroquois loyalists settled lands granted to them on the north shore of this bay. These and other loyalist settlements west of the Ottawa River prompted the British government to establish the province of Upper Canada in 1791. Ontario Heritage Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario
UEL Park, Adolphustown	THE LOYALIST LANDING PLACE 1784 On June 16, 1784, a party of some 250 United Empire Loyalists landed from bateaux near this site and established the first permanent white settlement in Adolphustown Township. They had sailed from new York in the fall of 1783 under the leadership of Major Peter Van Alstine (1747-1811) a Loyalist of Dutch ancestry, and passed the winter at Sorel. Van Alstine was later appointed a justice of the peace, represented this area in the first Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada and built at Glenora the earliest grist-mill in Prince Edward County.
St. Alban’s Anglican Church Adolphustown Village	LOYALIST MEMORIAL CHURCH The first Anglicans of Adolphustown were Loyalists who arrived in 1784. Early services were conducted at the home of Nicholas Hagerman by the Rev. John Langhorn who, from 1787 to 1813 was the resident missionary for the Townships of Ernesttown and Fredericksburgh. In 1822 a frame church named St. Paul’s was built, which still stands just west of this site. In that year Adolphustown became a mission and its first resident clergyman, the Rev. Job Deacon, served until 1850. The present church of St. Alban-the-Martyr, erected 1884-88, was built through public subscriptions as a memorial to the Loyalists of the area. Erected by the Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board.
South Shore Road, north of Dorland, Adolphustown	THE QUAKERS OF ADOLPHUSTOWN The first Preparative Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers) in either Upper or Lower Canada was organized in Adolphustown Township in 1798 at the house of Philip Dorland. Quakers had settled in this district in 1784 and at first held religious gatherings in private homes. In 1798 a frame meeting house was authorized and shortly thereafter it was erected on this site. A Monthly Meeting was formed in 1801 which aided the formation of further Quaker Meetings in the Bay of Quinte area. A new meeting house was built here in 1868 but was abandoned after the Monthly Meeting was discontinued in 1871 and only this burying ground remains. Erected by the Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board
South Shore Road, north-east of Dorland Adolphustown	HAY BAY CHURCH 1792 In 1791, William Losee, an itinerant preacher, organized in this district the first Methodist circuit in Upper Canada. This Meeting House. Upper Canada’s first Methodist chapel, was built in 1792. Enlarged in 1834-35 it was used for worship until about 1860 after which it served as a farmer’s storehouse. In 1910 in recognition of its historical significance, it was reacquired and restored by The Methodist Church and is still used for annual services by The United Church of Canada. Erected by the Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board
South Shore Road, just west of the Old Hay Bay Church, Adolphustown	SIR JOHN ALEXANDER MACDONALD 1815-1891 Born in Scotland, the young Macdonald returned frequently during his formative years to his parents' home here on the Bay of Quinte. His superb skills kept him at the centre of public life for fifty years. The political genius of Confederation, he became Canada's first prime minister in 1867, held that office for nineteen years (1867-73 and 1878-91), and presided over the expansion of Canada to its present boundaries excluding Newfoundland. His National Policy and the building of the CPR were equally indicative of his determination to resist the north-south pull of geography and to create and preserve a strong country politically free and commercially autonomous. Note: Monument is still in place, but plaque has been removed by Parks Canada.
Hwy 33, West of Conway South Fredericksburgh	HAZELTON SPENCER 1757-1813 An important figure in early Upper Canada, Spencer was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island. During the American revolution, he fought with the British forces and in 1784, when his unit was disbanded, he settled here. Widely acknowledged as a man of ability and stature, Spencer quickly achieved prominence. He represented this region in the province’s first parliament (1792-96) and secured several judicial and administrative appointments. Continuing his distinguished military career he was commissioned an officer in the Royal Canadian Volunteer Regiment and served in the garrison at Kingston (1797-1800) where he was commandant and at Fort George (1800-02). Spencer gained his highest office in 1794, however, with his appointment as Lieutenant of the County of Lennox. He held this prestigious post until his death.
St. Paul’s Anglican Church Sandhurst, South Fredericksburgh	LIEUT.-COL. JAMES ROGERS 1726-1790 Born in Ireland, Rogers emigrated with his family to Massachusetts Bay colony about 1730. During the Seven Years’ War he served in the Queen’s Rangers (Rogers’ Rangers), a provincial corps raised by his brother Robert and was present at the capture of Louisbourg and of Quebec. In the American Revolution he commanded the 2^nd Battalion Kings Rangers thereby forfeiting some 50,000 acres in the old colonies. In 1784 he led a party of about 300 disbanded Kings Rangers and their families to this vicinity where they were granted land. Rogers, who first settled in Fredericksburgh where he became lieutenant-colonel of the militia, lived for a time in Prince Edward county but returned to his township before his death. Archaeological and Historic Sites Board of Ontario
McDowall Memorial Cemetery Sandhurst, South Fredericksburgh	THE REV. ROBERT JAMES McDOWALL 1768-1841 Born at Ballston Spa, near Saratoga, new York, McDowall graduated from the Union Theological Seminary, Schenectady, and was ordained by the Dutch Reformed church at Albany in 1797. A year later he was sent to Canada and ministered to the Presbyterians in the Bay of Quinte area. He organized congregations in Ernesttown and Adolphustown Townships, and in Fredericksburg Township where he settled in 1800. A zealous missionary, McDowall travelled extensively preaching and performing marriage ceremonies at numerous centres between Elizabethtown (Brockville) and York (Toronto). His efforts as the first appointed missionary of the Dutch Reformed church in Canada helped to lay the foundation for the development of Presbyterianism in Ontario. He died at Sandhurst and was buried in the adjoining cemetery. Erected by the Ontario Heritage Foundation Ministry of Culture and Recreation
Hwy 33 West of County Rd 21, South Fredericksburgh	UPPER CANADA'S FIRST WINDMILL In the late 1780s, Sergeant John Howell, a Loyalist, came from Oswego NY State, to settle on Lot 15, Concession 1, Fredericksburgh. Lot 15 was a Crown grant of 200 acres running north from the shore of Lake Ontario at this site. Sergeant Howell had been a member of Sir John Johnson's Battalion and later joined Butler's Rangers. It was some time during the 1790s that he constructed the first windmill in Upper Canada on his property. The windmill, approximately 10 metres in diameter and of stone construction, was likely used to pump water up from the lake. In 1803 James Russell, an engineer and head carpenter at the Royal Naval Dockyard in Kingston, purchased the windmill property. The windmill was fortified for protection against a potential American invasion during the War of 1812. It is unknown how long the windmill remained operational, but by 1877 its tower was in ruins. Today only a shadowy imprint of the windmill's foundation, some 45 metres north of here, marks the site of Upper Canada's first windmill. ERECTED BY THE ADOLPHUSTOWN-FREDERICKSBURGH HERITAGE SOCIETY IN 2012
Hwy 33 at County Rd 21, South Fredericksburgh	ESCAPE OF THE ROYAL GEORGE 1812 Opposite here is the gap between Amherst Island and the eastern tip of Prince Edward County. On November 9, 1812, the British corvette “Royal George” (22 guns), commanded by Commodore Hugh Earl(e), was intercepted off False Duck Islands by an American fleet, comprising seven ships under commodore Isaac Chauncey. Pursued by the enemy, “Royal George” escaped through this gap, into the Bay of Quinte’s North Channel. The chase resumed in light winds the following day when she arrived safely in Kingston harbour. Chauncey, intent on capturing the largest British warship then on lake Ontario, attacked her in the harbour but after exchanging fire with “Royal George” and shore batteries was forced to withdraw. Erected by the Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board.
Hwy 33 East of County Rd 21, South Fredericksburgh	Upper Gap Archaeological Site First Nations peoples lived in this area thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans. In 1995, archaeological evidence of Iroquoian settlement was discovered nearby. The artifacts found reflected several periods of habitation dating from A.D. 700 to A.D 1400 and included the remains of decorated ceramic pots, vessels for cooking and storage, and stone tools. Hundreds of years ago, the Iroquois lived in longhouses and practised an agricultural way of life, cultivating primarily corn, beans and squash. This site was likely chosen for its strategic location overlooking the open channel, or Upper Gap between Amherst Island and Cressy Point. It provided access to Lake Ontario for fishing, hunting, gathering, ceremonial purposes and for other Aboriginal peoples. Ontario Heritage Foundation, an agency of the Government of Ontario