Other Name(s)
Brick Street Cemetery
370 Commissioner's Road West
Links and documents
Construction Date(s)
1813/01/01 to 1819/01/01
Listed on the Canadian Register:
2010/01/15
Statement of Significance
Description of Historic Place
The Brick Street Cemetery, located at 370 Commissioner's Road West, is situated on the south side of Commissioner's Road West, between Topping Lane and Beechwood Avenue, in the City of London. The cemetery was established between 1813 and 1819.
The property was designated, by the City of London, in 1994, for its historical value or interest, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law L.S.P. – 3236-478).
Heritage Value
Many of the settlers and their descendents, of Westminster Township, are interred at the Brick Street Cemetery. The first settlers arrived in 1810 and burials began sometime between 1813 and 1819. While burials continue, the cemetery is near capacity. The first gravestone was dated 1819.
Some of the local families interred at the Brick Street Cemetery include: Dale, Griffith, Topping, Jarvis, Flint, Blinn, and Norton, pioneers after whom streets in the area are named. Three of the more notable people interred here are Phoebe McNames, Nathan Griffith Sr. and Nathan Griffith Jr. Phoebe McNames (d. 1824) was a heroine of the War of 1812. McNames came to the aid of Canadian soldiers during a battle at Reservoir Hill, providing them with water and ammunition. Nathan Griffith Sr. (1756-1852) was a soldier in the American Revolution. His son, Nathan Griffith Jr. (1790-1862), arrived in Westminster Township in 1812 and fought in the battle of Lundy's Lane, in 1814, with the British forces. It is recorded that Nathan Jr. founded the first brickyard in Middlesex County, in 1816, making it one of the first manufacturing industries in the London area.
Source: City of London By-law L.S.P.-3236-478.
Character-Defining Elements
Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Brick Street Cemetery include its:
- original markers, with their surviving inscriptions
- cemetery plaque which commemorates the early settlers and pioneers who are interred at the cemetery
- the layout and location of the cemetery
Recognition
Jurisdiction
Ontario
Recognition Authority
Local Governments (ON)
Recognition Statute
Ontario Heritage Act
Recognition Type
Municipal Heritage Designation (Part IV)
Recognition Date
1994/02/21
Historical Information
Significant Date(s)
1994/01/01 to 1994/01/01
Theme - Category and Type
- Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
- Philosophy and Spirituality
- Peopling the Land
- Settlement
Function - Category and Type
Current
Historic
- Religion, Ritual and Funeral
- Mortuary Site, Cemetery or Enclosure
Architect / Designer
n/a
Builder
n/a
Additional Information
Location of Supporting Documentation
City of London
Planning and Development Department
300 Dufferin Avenue
London, ON
N6A 4L9
Cross-Reference to Collection
Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier
HPON07-0115
Status
Published
Related Places
n/a