Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques
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Willow Grove Burying Ground
Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted June, 2009
This 2005 plaque is located in Richview Cemetery, the entrance to which is off the south side of Eglinton Avenue West, west of the East Mall and east of Renforth Drive. There is a gate at the street entrance but it can easily be opened. From there follow the paved path around to the other side where you will see a gate in the fence (shown above). The plaque has this to say:
Coordinates: 43.670337 -79.575090 |
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The Willow Grove Burying Ground was originally located about 6 km northeast of here, on the south side of Rexdale Boulevard, west of Kipling Avenue, in the community of Highfield. The site was acquired by the Rev. William Millard from John Metteridge in the mid-1840s. In 1886, the property was conveyed to Richard P. Dixon, Robert Moody, and Thomas Gardhouse, trustees of Willow Grove Chapel, and dedicated "for a chapel and burying ground for the use of the congregation of Christians worshipping in the said chapel (not being regular Baptists), practising baptism by immersion and the liberty of communion to all who profess faith in Christ, whether immersed or not".
In 1970, 110 bodies were removed and re-interred in the southern end of Richview Cemetery. The former Willow Grove cemetery property was then sold.
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Richview Cemetery
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Cemeteries
Here are the visitors' comments for this page.
> Posted April 8, 2016
I don't understand why they had to move 110 bodies. It is nothing but a large empty parking lot with one building. For what it was sold for in 1970, it would hardly cover the cost of moving them. I can't believe it was 1970. I remember like it was yesterday.
Steve Collie [email protected]
> Posted July 31, 2012
I lived in that area as a kid (Rathburn and East Mall). I didn't even know that this cemetery was there until they moved the 401 south in 1970.
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