16: 659 Lyons Lane, Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery 1 ... - business/16-Oakville-St... · Inventory Report: 659 Lyons Lane, Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery 16-1 16: 659 Lyons Lane,

Inventory Report: 659 Lyons Lane, Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery

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16: 659 Lyons Lane, Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery

1. Description of Property Municipal Address 659 Lyons Lane Name (if applicable) Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery Legal Description PT LTS 15 & 16, CON 3 TRAFALGAR, SOUTH OF DUNDAS STREET , AS IN TW21452 ; PT RDAL

BTN LTS 15 & 16, CON 3 TRAFALGAR, SOUTH OF DUNDAS STREET , AS TW21452 ; PT LT 15, CON 3 TRAFALGAR, SOUTH OF DUNDAS STREET , PART 1,2,7,8,10,11,13,14 , 20R1531 ; PT LT 15, C

Location of Property Located south of the QEW, on a point of land along the winding Sixteen Mile Creek, the cemetery is bounded by the end of Lyons Lane to the north and by the steep banks of the Sixteen Mile Creek to the east, south and west.

Ownership Public – Town of Oakville Access Access granted by Town. Site visit completed on August 13, 2015 (AB, ES, CU) Current Use Cemetery Existing Designation Designated under Part IV OHA for its historic and architectural value and interest (By-law

1987-295). The Reason for Designation is set out in Schedule “A”, which is reproduced here as Appendix A.

General Description Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery is Oakville’s was established in 1858 on land donated by the mayor, George K. Chisholm. It contains many burials which were moved here from an earlier town cemetery.

Priority Level Low

Figure 1: 659 Lyons Lane, Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery (CU, 2015)

ApproximateSugar Maple Row

Large Lilac

Lyons Ln.

QEW

Tree-formLilac

ApproximateSugar Maple Row

Large Lilac

Lyons Ln.

QEW

Tree-formLilac

LEGEND

Oakville - St. Mary'sCemeteryCultural Heritage LandscapeInventory Map

Drawing not to scale

Corporation of theTown of Oakville1225 Trafalgar RdOakville, ONL6H 0H3

Woodlot

Watercourse

Site Structures

Vegetation

Assessment Boundary

Building

CHL Study Area

Heritage District

Heritage Trail

Parkland

Park Trail

Road


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2. Key Recommendations Priority = Low

Rationale for priority level:

• No known vulnerabilities; and • All existing built and natural cultural heritage resources may not have been identified or included in designation.

Recommendations for future action:

• Amend the designation by-law under section 30.1 to clarify and correct statement of heritage value and description of heritage attributes.

3. Documentation and Inventory of Built Form List of Built Features: • Grave markers varying in their use of material, style, shape, iconography and range from very simple to very

elaborate; • Grave markers and decorative fencing (wrought iron, poured concrete and concrete slabs) surrounding numerous

family plots; • The earliest burial is believed to belong to Joshua Loach (born 1776), who died at the age of 86; • Additional ironwork elements, concrete pathways and stone divisions set in the ground around burial plots; and • The gravel road is part of the original design and cuts through the cemetery, winding around the natural topography,

connecting to the Catholic Cemetery at the south end of the property, where it forms a loop.

4. Documentation and Inventory of Natural Form List of Natural Features:

• Mature Spruce, Norway Maple, Maple, Horsechestnut, Yew & Boxwoods (near headstones), Lilac, White Cedar, Red Cedar, Red Oak, Spirea, Apple;

• Manitoba Maple unkempt, growing in the Atkinson family plot (Joseph E. Atkinson, d. 1948, editor of the Toronto Star);

• Sugar Maple row along eastern boundary of cemetery; • Invasive Buckthorn in woodland edges; • An impressive early 1900's tree-form lilac; and • Mature Spruce delineating St. Mary’s Cemetery and the road may be among the few remaining plantings from the

original cemetery design.

5. Design (Typology) ‘X’ all that

apply

Categories of Cultural Heritage Landscape

Description

X Designed Landscape “…clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by man.”

Organically Evolved Landscape “…results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and has


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‘X’ all that

apply

Categories of Cultural Heritage Landscape

Description

developed in its present form in response to its natural environment”

Relict Landscape (Evolved Landscape)

“…in which an evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past.”

X Continuing Landscape (Evolved Landscape)

“…retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life, and which the evolutionary process is still in progress.”

Associative Cultural Landscape

“…justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic, or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent.”

6. Historical and Thematic Associations In 1858, George Chisholm, the first mayor of Oakville, donated approximately five acres of land at the northern limits of the Town, for use as a public cemetery. The contents of an earlier cemetery on Reynolds Street, north of Palmer Avenue, were moved to this new location so that a school could be built there. The school was never constructed, but the process of disinterring and moving burials from the Reynolds Street cemetery to the new St. Mary’s Cemetery took more than twenty years. The last burials were moved in January of 1881.

The land for the cemetery was surveyed by George C. Tremaine, who was responsible for publishing a number of maps in Ontario in the mid-19th century, including the 1858 "Map of Halton County, Canada West." Evidence of the cemetery's original plan and evolution can be seen in the following features:

• Grave makers for individual burials. The varying materials, shapes, sizes and iconography reflect not only individuals’ beliefs and their ability to afford differing materials and levels of craftsmanship, but also changes in popular styles and the availability of materials and technical ability.

• Family plots or groupings of burials, often delineated by low fencing.

• The layout of burials, following the plan created for the original sale of lots (burial plots) through the Town.

• The road, which was cut through the cemetery as part of its original design. The road leads through the cemetery, to the southern section - St. Mary's - which serves as the Catholic Cemetery.

• The Catholic Cemetery is differentiated from the Town Cemetery by a change in elevation as well as complimentary plantings which create a sense of a separate, enclosed space.

The Cemetery reflects a number of 19th-century cultural traditions related to burial of individuals in marked graves; in particular, the park-like setting and use of fencing to delineate family plots which reflect a desire to provide a comforting setting for mourners.

The Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery is closely linked to the history of Oakville, as its first public cemetery. It is the resting place of some of the Town’s earliest settlers and a number of integral and prominent figures. Many members of the Chisholm family, including the founder of Oakville, Colonel William Chisholm (1788-1842), are buried in the cemetery.


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The Town of Oakville maintains the cemetery and its features and is currently undertaking a largescale conservation project involving several hundred grave markers.

7. Contextual Associations The cemetery is physically linked to the Sixteen Mile Creek. It rests above the creek bed on a plateau with the steep banks of the creek along three sides.

8. Evaluation (O. Reg 9/06)

O.Reg.9/06 Criteria Criteria

Potentially Met (Y/N)

Potential Justification

1. The property has design value or physical value because it,

i. is a rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material, or construction method,

Y

The cemetery is a representative example of 19th century cemetery design, laid out in a park-like setting with deliberate consideration given to landscaping features and the placement of individual and family plots. The grave markers, fencing, soft and hard landscaping features represent a wide range of economic demographics, individual beliefs, changes in popular styles and materials, and availability of materials and skilled craftspeople over the past 150 years.

ii. displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit, or Y

A number of the grave markers and family plots do display a high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit.

iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement. N Not shown.

2. The property has historical value or associative value because it,

i. has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community,

Y

The Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery is associated with a period of growth and civic development in the Town of Oakville. A number of prominent figures have been laid to rest in the cemetery, including numerous members of the Chisholm family.

ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture, or

Y

The property has the potential to yield information that contributes to an understanding of the local community.


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O.Reg.9/06 Criteria Criteria

Potentially Met (Y/N)

Potential Justification

Given the proximity of the cemetery to the Sixteen Mile Creek, the property also has the potential to yield information related to First Nations populations with a long history of land-use in the area prior to Euro-Canadian settlement.

iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community.

Y The cemetery was surveyed by George C. Tremaine who produced a number of mid-19th century maps of Ontario.

3. The property has contextual value because it,

i. is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area,

N Not shown.

ii. is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings, or N Not shown.

iii. is a landmark. Y As one of the Town’s pioneer cemeteries, the property can be considered a landmark.

9. Photographic Documentation

Figure 3: The Chisholm Family Plot. (CU, 2015)


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Figure 4: Examples of varying types of grave markers and fencing delineating family plots. Light standard on right side of photograph. (CU, 2015)

Figure 5: View of St. Mary’s Cemetery, facing south. (CU, 2015)


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Figure 6: Marble headstones in St. Mary’s Cemetery, at property edge. Wire and post fence visible on left (CU, 2015)

Figure 7: View of Sixteen Mile Creek from property edge (CU, 2015)


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Figure 8: Memorial tree. “IN LOVING MEMORY OF MARY MARKEY 1873-1954 AND JOHN MARKEY 1870-1857 R.I.P.”. (CU, 2015)

Figure 9: Example of concrete pathway elements and ironwork elements associated with family plots, Yew on right. (CU, 2015)


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Figure 10: Atkinson Family grave. (CU, 2015)

10. Analysis and Recommendation Potential Heritage Value:

The Oakville/St. Mary’s is a representative example of 19th-century cemetery design, laid out in a park-like setting with consideration given to landscaping features and to placement of plots. The grave markers reflect a wide range of demographics, beliefs, styles, materials and craftspeople. Some markers and plots display a high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit.

The cemetery is associated with a period of growth and civic development for the Town. It is associated with George C. Tremaine, who surveyed the property, and with prominent citizens who are buried there, including William Chisholm, founder of Oakville, and Joseph E. Atkinson, editor of the Toronto Star from 1899 to 1948. The cemetery functions as a landmark in the community.

Actions:

The cemetery is designated under Part IV of the OHA under By-law 1987-295. It is recommended that the by-law adequately protects the cultural heritage value of the property given the ongoing use of the property as a cemetery and the level of care that the Town is taking with respect to its maintenance; however, there may be some merit to revising the by-law to include an explicit list of heritage attributes, in keeping with the post-2005 amendments to the OHA, including:

• Grave markers varying in their use of material, style, shape, iconography and range from very simple to very elaborate.

• Grave markers, decorative fencing (wrought iron, poured concrete and concrete slabs) surrounding numerous family plots.

• Additional ironwork elements, concrete pathways and stone divisions set in the ground around burial plots


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• The gravel road is part of the original design and cuts through the cemetery, winding around the natural topography, connecting to the Catholic Cemetery at the south end of the property, where it forms a loop.

• Mature Spruce, Norway Maple, Maple, Horsechestnut, Yew and Boxwoods (near headstones), Lilac, White Cedar, Red Cedar, Red Oak, Spirea, Apple

• Manitoba Maple unkempt, growing in the Atkinson family plot • Sugar Maple row along eastern boundary of cemetery • Early 1900's tree-form lilac • Mature Spruce delineating St. Mary’s Cemetery and the road which may be among the few remaining plantings from

the original cemetery design.

A ‘low’ priority level is recommended for the following reasons:

• No known vulnerabilities; and • All existing built and natural cultural heritage resources may not have been identified or included in designation.

11. Sources Ashe, David and Joyce Burnell, Oakville Street Names & Landmarks, (London, ON: Burnell Creighton Publishing, 2007)

Canadian Register of Historic Places, "St. Mary's Cemetery, Oakville," at http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=15350&pid=0. Accessed September, 2015.

Town of Oakville. By-law 1987-295. A by-law to designate certain property as a property of historic and architectural value and interest (Oakville/St. Mary's Cemetery).

12. Appendix A SCHEDULE “A” TO BY-LAW 1987-295

REASON FOR DESIGNATION

The approximately 5 acres that comprise Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery was donated by George K. Chishom (1815-1874) to the Town in 1858. Chisholm was the first mayor of the Town of Oakville.

Chisholm, anticipating further growth at that time, suggested that the Cemetery on Reynolds Street north of Palmer Avenue be moved, in order to accommodate a new school to be built on that site.

The following is an excerpt from a letter written by Chisholm to Council on March 15, 1858:

I propose to give the Town a plot of ground of about five acres, situated in front of the second concession, on the bank where the road crosses the Sixteen Mile Creek, for a public cemetery. The present one to be removed there as soon as practicable, and the site appropriated for the purposes of a Public School to be erected by the Town, one that would be an ornament to the place and of sufficient dimensions, to meet the educational requirements of the Town for many years to come.

Although the plan to build the new schoolhouse was not carried out, Council accepted Chisholm’s offer for a new cemetery and the site was surveyed by George C. Tremaine, whose “Map of Halton County, Canada West” appeared that same year in 1858.

The founder of Oakville, Colonel William Chisholm (1788-1842) is interred in the burial grounds along with many other members of the Chisholm family.

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=15350&pid=0

http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=15350&pid=0


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An interesting feature of a number of burial areas in the cemetery is the decorative wrought iron fencing delineating family plots.

Documents

16: 659 Lyons Lane, Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery 1 ... - business/16-Oakville-St... · Inventory Report: 659 Lyons Lane, Oakville/St. Mary’s Cemetery 16-1 16: 659 Lyons Lane,