A house destroyed by a fire earlier this week in downtown Windsor held historical significance.
The historic Parker Homestead on the corner of Mercer Street and Elliott Street was the childhood home of Windsor's fire Black police officer, Alston C. Parker.
In 1916, the home was also the official recruiting office for the all-Black No. 2 Construction Battalion, Canada's only all-Black battalion in its military history. More than 150 men enlisted there to serve in the First World War.
In 2000, the City of Windsor listed the home on the Heritage Properties Inventory.
The home was owned by a member of the Parker family from the 1840s until the early 2000s.
In 2023, it became part of the McDougall Street Corridor walking tour, a collaboration of the University of Windsor, the Essex County Black Historical Research Society, and Parallel 42 Systems.
A fire broke out at the home just after 4 a.m. Monday. The fire caused over $500,000 in damages. An investigation into the cause of the blaze is still ongoing.
