Description of Historic Place

Bronte Pioneer Cemetery is on the east side of Bronte Street North, north of Victoria Street, in the Town of Milton. The forested cemetery was established in 1824.

The property was designated by the Town of Milton in 2004 for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 12-2004).

Heritage Value

Bronte Pioneer Cemetery is associated with the area's earliest pioneers. Among these original pioneers was town founder Jasper Martin who was buried in the cemetery upon his death in 1833. Martin built the first mill around which the community grew and owned the plot of land on which the cemetery is located.

Bronte Pioneer Cemetery is a good representation of 19th century cemetery design. It is characterised by its triangular shape and natural setting to attract and comfort the living, the use of markers and monuments to perpetuate the memory of individuals of historic importance and a park-like layout for public use. True to the original plan, gravesites are placed with separate individual markers. A wrought iron fence was constructed around the cemetery in 1928.

Source: Town of Milton By-law 12-2004.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to heritage value of Bronte Pioneer Cemetery include the:
- variety of styles, materials and symbolism represented in the markers and monuments
- the range of size and sophistication of markers and monuments, from modest to elaborate
- park-like layout including mature trees
- monuments
- individual grave markers with their surviving inscriptions