Memorial Hall

The site of what is now the Memorial Hall was originally occupied by a tall wooden building known as the Bell House and Tower; the tower housed an enormous cast iron bell that was rung during the workday to indicate curfew times and emergencies such as fires. Erected in 1874, it was the site of the village’s first election and council meetings. In 1920 the structure was declared unsafe. After its demolition the Waterdown Women’s Institute purchased the site and raised much of the funds to build a community hall to honour the Great War Veterans of 1914 to 1918. Construction began in 1922, and fortunately the building survived the fire of the same year. The clock tower that was once mounted on top of the hall had to be dismantled in 1948 when it was deemed unsafe. The bell from the original tower remains mounted in front of the Hall, even after extensive renovations in recent history.