Newcastle aerial view of village from 1919

How we’ve grown!

Newcastle over 100 years ago vs Newcastle now…

We thought it would be fun to show you how much Newcastle has changed in 100 years. At the time of the 1921 census, Newcastle’s population had actually declined from 787 in 1891 to 559 in 1921, 2 years after this photo was taken. In 1881, there were a total of 202 dwellings, 31 of which were unoccupied. (Unfortunately, later census data doesn’t include the number of dwellings in smaller towns and villages). The Massey Manufacturing move to Toronto in 1881 definitely contributed to the loss of population in Newcastle, but the entire Durham region lost almost 3,000 people between 1901 and 1921, and the township of Clarke lost 750 people during that time.

Aerial view of Newcastle, Ontario in 1919
Newcastle, Ontario, Canada from the air, looking west along Highway 2 towards the center of town. St. George’s Anglican Church can be seen at the extreme left (middle) on Mill St., and the present-day Newcastle United Church can be seen on Mill St. further left of St. George’s. The house in the foreground, the Asa Wallbridge house, at 483 King Ave. E., is still standing and is believed to be the oldest house still sitting on its original foundations in the Durham region. (c 1819)
Newcastle circa late 1970s looking south from just north of the intersection of Mill St. N. and North Street (lower edge, middle). It’s still a small town with a population of around 1,700. The first of the new subdivisions can be seen at the middle right – just north of the 401. The piers at Bond Head (built 1971) are visible at the lake, as is the marina. The community at the Port of Newcastle is still almost 10 years in the future. The Lions pool can be see at what was then the edge of town at the middle left – behind the original Newcastle Public School, which was demolished in 1997 once the new school was built in 1996.

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