В Эссексе открыли мемориальную доску дому, выжившему после взрыва динамита в 1907 году

Essex home that survived 1907 explosion honoured with heritage plaque When a boxcar carrying nitroglycerin exploded in Essex Centre in 1907, the blast killed two men, shattered windows as far away as Windsor and Detroit and left a crater near the town’s railway station. Somehow, the house at 78 Fox St. N. survived. Now, 119 years after the explosion, one of Essex Centre’s oldest surviving homes has a plaque to mark its place in the community’s history. The Town of Essex unveiled the heritage plaque Monday at the property, also known as the Kowtiuk Home, recognizing a house that has stood for more than 150 years. “Places like this help us understand where we’ve come from,” said Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy. “They remind us that history of Essex isn’t just in books — it’s reflected in the buildings, streets, and neighbourhoods that continue to shape our community today.” The home’s story is tied to one of the most dramatic moments in Essex’s history. On Aug. 10, 1907, a boxcar of dynamite was being shunted near the town’s 20-year-old railway station. The nitroglycerine had been leaking in the the heat and the crew had heard small explosions. Then came the blast. Joseph McNary, a 30-year-old brakeman, and Leo Conlon, 28, died. Others were injured, including a man thrown from the engine. Shattered glass injured shoppers downtown, while the explosion was said to have broken windows in Windsor and Detroit. The force of the blast carved a crater about 20 feet wide and a dozen feet deep near the station. Pieces of railway track were reportedly thrown into nearby homes, and thousands of people came to see the destruction. Through it all, the Fox Street home endured. Bondy said the Kowtiuk Home is one of the few surviving reminders of the community that existed before the explosion — and of the remarkable resilience of the people and places that came after it. “Heritage conservation is more than just preserving buildings, it’s about preserving the identity of our community and creating opportunities for future generations to connect and share our past,” Bondy said. When Laurie Kowtiuk bought the property in December 1987, it had become poorly run down. But where others might have seen a derelict old house, Kowtiuk said she saw something worth saving. “It was the only one (house) that looked really old,” she said. Kowtiuk has been collecting antiques since she was 14, when she bought her first piece — a chair that remains part of her collection. As the collection grew, she began looking for a home with enough room to house it and enough character to make the antiques feel at home. The Fox Street house checked both boxes. “It was big enough to hold all these antiques,” Kowtiuk said. But preserving the house quickly became about more than giving her collection a place to live. Kowtiuk had the house raised and put on a new foundation. She replaced the plumbing and electrical system and has continued restoring the property ever since. She also contacted the Essex Heritage Committee to learn about heritage designation, wanting to make sure the house would be protected long after she was gone. “If I didn’t buy it at the time, it wouldn’t be here,” she said. Nearly four decades later, Kowtiuk is still collecting antiques and working on the house. “I’ve done it all myself,” she said. “I love Essex. I’ve lived here all my life and it just goes from there.” — With files from Sharon Hill