Johnstown 1789

Photo by Alan L Brown - June 13, 2004

Plaque Location

The County of Leeds and Grenville
The Township of Edwardsburgh/Cardinal
In Johnstown, on the NE corner of County Road 2 and Highway 16

Plaque Text

In 1789-90 a town plot of one mile square was laid out in this vicinity. Many loyalists, including Sir John Johnson, obtained lots in this settlement. A sawmill and grist-mill were constructed, and in 1793 it was made the administrative centre of the Eastern District. A courthouse and gaol were erected and the court of quarter sessions, which administered the district's local government, met alternately here and in Cornwall. Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe stayed in Johnstown in 1792 and 1795. In 1808 the courts were moved to Elizabethtown (Brockville) and despite its favourable location as a port, Johnstown's further development was retarded by its shallow harbour.