The Wilcox Inn

As we exit the marina we see The Wilcox Inn
at 32 Front Street South.

This building dates back to about 1850.

Captain James Wilcox built the house and operated it as an inn for sailors and harbour workers. But the story doesn't end there. Over the years it became a community hall, a place for church services and even a meeting place for the local temperance movement.

This one building gives us a wonderful glimpse into how a small nineteenth-century building could serve many different purposes as the community changed.
The building's history as an inn, community hall, church venue and temperance meeting place has been well documented.

In 1850, Captain James Wilcox built this Georgian Survival home. He operated it first as an inn, intended as a haven for weary sailors and harbour workers, for three years. Sometime before 1855, he returned to his former employ as a Lake Captain, engaging in all kinds of lake trade, including stonehooking, commercial fishing, lumbering, and transporting all sorts of goods between Hamilton, Port Credit and Toronto. Over the years, the Wilcox Inn served a variety of purposes. By 1888 however, it was used as a community hall for social gatherings. In 1891, the inn was renovated and used for church services. Later, the old inn became the meeting hall for the first Peel Temperance Society, under the direction of Captain John Miller.

Today It is a private family residence but has been maintained in its original splendor.