Description of Historic Place

The Graham Mill is located at 104 Maple Avenue on the east side of Maple Avenue, west of Olde Base Line Road, in the village of Inglewood, Town of Caledon. The property backs on to the Credit River, and consists of two stone industrial buildings, constructed in 1871 and 1884 respectively, and a former mill race.

The property was designated by the Town of Caledon in 2000 for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 2000-13).

Heritage Value

The Graham Mill property is associated with the founding family of the village of Inglewood. Thomas Corbett completed construction of the original frame mill and associated tail race on this site in 1846, at which time it was known as the Riverdale Woolen Mill. In 1860, Corbett's son-in-law, David Graham, became his business partner, eventually taking over completely in 1871. A fire destroyed the original mill that year and it was replaced with a new stone building, with another added in 1884. With the arrival of two railways in the late 1870s, the newly established village was known for a time as Riverdale Junction, named after the mill. For many years the mill's principal products were wool cloth, blankets, and long underwear. After a market downturn in 1928, the mill's output was shifted to spinning yarn.

In the latter half of the 20th century the mill was converted for the manufacture of plastic products, for which it retains a warehousing function to this day. Most recently, areas within the two former industrial stone buildings have been adapted for use as a fitness centre and office space. For over 100 years the mill provided employment for many of Inglewood's inhabitants, as did other of the Graham family's local business ventures such as the Inglewood brickworks. The dam and mill race associated with the Graham Mill are also believed to have helped to prevent major flooding in the village from the Credit River. The property remains under the ownership of the Graham family.

The two stone buildings on the Graham Mill site provide good examples of late 19th century construction for industrial purposes. It is likely that the stone was locally sourced from the Inglewood quarries along the Niagara Escarpment. The stone was roughly cut and slightly dressed prior to assembly, and given an ashlar finish to resemble a more expensive milled and cut stone masonry. Although the industrial evolution of the mill has resulted in a few minor alterations, the two stone former mill buildings remain the most visual and interesting features of the site.

Source: Town of Caledon, By-law 2000-13.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Graham Mill include the:
- date stones (1871 and 1884)
- rubble stone construction with coursed ashlar finish
- rough cut stone quoins
- shed and gable roof lines
- stone lintels and sills
- original window and door placements
- original mill race