Known at various times as Butlersburg, West Niagara, and Newark, its first permanent settlers, Butlers Rangers and other Loyalist refugees arrived in 1778 when they began crossing from Fort Niagara to settle the west bank of the Niagara River. A town was laid out in a grid pattern of four-acre blocks and grew quickly, gaining prominence as the first capital of Upper Canada from 1792 to 1796. The town was captured by American forces on May 27, 1813; upon their withdrawal on December 13, 1813, the American forces burned the town.Following Niagara's destruction, the citizens rebuilt mainly in the British classical architectural tradition, creating a group of structures closely related in design, material and scale. Spared from redevelopment, the town's colonial buildings eventually became one of its greatest resources. Beginning in the 1950s, residents rehabilitated and restored old structures, demonstrating an exceptional commitment to the preservation of local heritage.The Prince of Wales Hotel is a historic Victorian hotel located at King Street and Picton Street. Built in 1864, the three storey 110 room hotel went by several names (Long's Hotel, Arcade Hotel, The Niagara House) and was renamed with the current name after famous guests The Duke of York (and Prince of Wales) and The Duchess of York in 1901. Queen Elizabeth II stayed at the hotel during her visit to the area in 1973.