The Second Niagara Court House and Gaol – built in 1817 near Rye and Cottage Streets, the Georgian building was more grand than the first and far from cannon fire from the U.S. side of the Niagara River. It was replaced by the 1847 court house.[1] It was demolished after 1866; the site is now Rye Heritage Park, with a marker placed at the end of the driveway into the park.

Maria Rye, a social reformer from London, England arrived in Niagara in October, 1869 with a group of 75 girls. She had purchased the abandoned second courthouse and converted it into an institution called "Our Western Home". Her aim was to gather girls, usually aged 5-12, either from workhouses or those abandoned in the streets, transport them to Canada, teach them domestic skills, and then place them with families either as foster children or apprentices. It is believed that 4,000 girls passed through Our Western Home under the tutelage of Miss Rye. However, her program came under criticism as she did not continue to follow the girls after they left the home and some were found to have been placed in adverse situations. Following Miss Rye's retirement in 1896, the Home was taken over by the Church of England's Waifs and Strays Society; it continued to operate until 1913.