ABOUT DELTA
Delta is a quiet village situated on County Road 42. Services for the visitor include a grocery store, liquor store, post office and a gas station. The village also has a library and a recreation centre. Lower Beverley Lake Township Park offers lots of room for family camping, has cottages for rent, a beach and a boat launch ramp. Golf, sightseeing (Rideau locks, Athen's murals) and gift shopping are located within easy driving distance.
The main attraction in Delta is the Old Stone Mill, built in 1810, now a museum and a designated National Historic Site of Canada. The Mill has been completely renovated and had working millstones installed on its 200th anniversary in 2010. It is open to the public from Victoria Day weekend to Labour Day (and on special events such as the Delta Maple Syrup Festival and the Delta Harvest Festival (the last Saturday in September).
In early April, the Delta Maple Syrup Festival celebrates that sweet local nectar, maple syrup. At the end of July, the Delta Fair, one of Canada's oldest fairs, (now over 180 years old) is held. Originally an agriculture fair, it has expanded to include many fun activities for the whole family. Its agricultural roots remain with events such as tractor pulls, horse shows, car shows, and the ever popular cow chip bingo. On the last Saturday in September, a Harvest Festival is held with lots of local produce, crafts, and hot apple cider. Winter brings the Village Lights with many places in Delta lit up for the Christmas season, including the Old Stone Mill beautifully lit with candles in each window.
HISTORY
Delta is the earliest settlement in this region, founded in 1796 by Abel Stevens, a Loyalist settler from Vermont. Stevens arrived with six families in early 1794, settling on the upper reaches of Plum Hollow Creek. Stevens petitioned the government for land around present day Delta (he wanted the rapids in that spot for water power for a mill). The area was unsurveyed and it was not until 1796 that land was granted to Stevens, three lots over what is present day Delta. This grant of land allowed him to build his first mill (a wooden sawmill) which formed the nucleus of a new community that became known as Stevenstown. After the building of the Old Stone Mill (1810-1811), by William Jones and Ira Schofield, it became known as Stone Mills. Then, in 1827, the name was changed to Beverley in honour of Sir John Beverley Robinson, a member of the Legislative Assembly. However, in 1857, when an application was made for a post office it was discovered that a Beverley already existed, and the name was changed to Delta because the shapes of Upper and Lower Beverley lakes, and the village between them all form triangles, the shape of the Greek letter Delta.
The village hosts many historic buildings, the most dominant being the Old Stone Mill National Historic Site. The Mill was built in 1810 by William Jones, likely in partnership with Ira Schofield, a bit to the north of Stevens' original wooden mill (built c.1796). A grist (wheat) mill, it operated until 1949 before becoming just a feed store. In 1963 it was deeded by the last owner, Hastings Steele, to four trustees who formed The Delta Mill Society (DMS) who currently own and operate the mill. The DMS conducted rescue preservation of the mill in 1972-74 and then conducted a major restoration of the mill in 1999-2004. The "mill pond", todays Upper Beverley Lake was originally two smaller lakes prior to any mill damming. When the Old Stone Mill was built, the two original lakes were flooded to a level that formed one lake. That "mill pond" level of Upper Beverley Lake is maintained today by dam built by MNR in the 1962, upstream from the Old Stone Mill.
The village boasts many examples of beautiful 19th century architecture. St. Paul's Anglican Church was built in 1811 and is one of the oldest churches in Leeds County. There is the Walter Denaut House, built in 1849, the Philo Hicock House, c.1845, the William Bell House, 1860, the Israel Stevens House, 1876 and many more. A description of these buildings can be found on the Delta Walking Tour page (external website).
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