PLAQUE TEXT

A prolific and accomplished playwright, Denison was born in Detroit and raised in Ontario. In 1921, after pursuing studies in architecture, he became Art Director of Hart House Theatre, Toronto. Denison soon began to write comedies, some of which were conceived at his summer home in Bon Echo and performed in this playhouse. As author of "The Romance of Canada", a highly successful series of historical plays broadcast in 1931-32, he received wide acclaim as a pioneer in radio drama. During the following decades he devoted his energies to this field, preparing numerous plays for broadcast in the United States. Increasingly interested in business history, Denison wrote several popular histories of Canadian corporations, including Harvest Triumphant - the Story of Massey-Harris, during the 1950s and 60s.

- Ontario Heritage Trust

GPS Coordinates: 44° 28' 36.50" N 77° 18' 39.83" W (44.47666667, 77.310833333)

Street location: Nearly hidden by trees behind Tweed Playhouse, Jamieson and Colbourne streets, Tweed, Ontario

Merrill Denison at his typewriter at the Bon Echo Inn, with Mazinaw Rock looming outside the window. Note that Denison is wearing a kilt. Photo: Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County.