Description of Historic Place

The Cox Pioneer Cemetery is located between 143 and 147 Wedgewood Drive, on the south side of Wedgewood Drive, east of Trelawn Avenue, in the Town of Oakville. The property, accessed by a 10 foot corridor from Wedgewood Drive, is a forested cemetery that began with its first burial, in circa 1833, on a 15 square metre piece of land.

The property was designated, by the Town of Oakville in 1994, for its heritage value, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, By-law 1994-20.

Heritage Value

The Cox Pioneer Cemetery is associated with Trafalgar Township's earliest settlers. It was during the ownership of local farmer John C. Harris that the cemetery was established. The absence of modern medicine in the 19th century meant a large number of children died at an early age. Two of the three marked graves are for infants and it is believed that there are several unmarked graves for other young children.

The Cox Pioneer Cemetery was named after Herbert Coplin Cox, President and later Chairman of the Board of the Canada Life Assurance Company, who purchased the property in 1909.

Cox Pioneer Cemetery is representative of 19th century cemetery design. It is characterised by a naturalistic setting to attract and comfort the living. Within the cemetery are three marble headstones and remnants of a foundation, north of the grave stones. The foundation is from the former water tower on the Cox Estate. In addition to the three marked graves, it is believed that a number of unmarked pioneer graves also exist in the cemetery.

Source: Town of Oakville, By-law 1994-20.

Character-Defining Elements

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