04/25/2026
Reveal! 2019.036.5.32 https://tinyurl.com/kzbt7ent This stone arrangement is called the Mowat Gate. In this photo it is standing near the bottom of modern-day Clifton Hill, farther down the hill than the Clifton Hill War Memorial. This was the second, but kind of current, Mowat Gate…it’s rather confusing. The original Mowat Gate was constructed when the Queen Victoria Park first opened in 1888. I have not been able to determine exactly where it was located, but it sounds like the original wooden gate was located closer to the current location. In 1904 it was decided that the wooden structure was too deteriorated so a new structure would be desired. It was also decided to move the gate closer to the Niagara River Parkway and opposite the entrance to the second Clifton Hotel. This new location, and granite structure, is depicted in the image. Due to the advent of the automobile, the traffic coming off the Honeymoon Bridge, and the loss of the Clifton Hotel, it was decided to move the four massive granite components to their current location, opposite Falls Avenue. This was a prudent decision by the Niagara Parks Commission as the use of the automobile only grew in general and, after the collapse of the Honeymoon Bridge, and construction of the Rainbow Bridge, the popularity and congestion of the immediate area would increase (could you imagine the Falls Avenue intersection only 100 feet from the Clifton Hill and Niagara River Parkway?). For more information about the Mowat Gate, including why it is called the “Mowat Gate”, check out our History Note on the topic: https://tinyurl.com/3hpd83de
