Pioneer Heritage Site: Brick Street Cemetery, London, Ontario
Posted by: 
Keldar5
N 42° 57.302 W 081° 16.839
17T E 477108 N 4755859
A designated provincial heritage site.
Waymark Code: WMPXFZ
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 11/04/2015
Views: 8
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
Link to Property in The Ontario Properties Database: [Web Link]
Building or Property Type: Cemetery or Cemetery Building
County or Regional Municipality: Middlesex
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Visit Instructions:
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