Dixon’s Union Cemetery
Also known as: Dixon’s Primitive Methodist Cemetery
Location:
12895 Kennedy Road, Caledon, Peel Region, Ontario, Canada.
Concession 2E, Lot 22, Chinguacousy Township.
GPS:
Latitude: 43.76047°N
Longitude: -79.83695°W
History:
Dixon’s Church is located on Lot 22 First Line East Chinguacousy, Town of Caledon, Kennedy Road North #12895, Region of Peel.
The first building of brick construction was erected on the farm of Robert Norris in the year 1855. One of the class leaders was William Dixon for whom the church was named. The church was a Primitive Methodist.
In June of 1874, a fierce windstorm, which swept the country with an explosive effect, broke the glass in the large windows on both sides of the building. Thus the wind was allowed to enter the building, the walls collapsed, one to the inside and the other to the outside.
The congregation, surprisingly undaunted by the catastrophe, immediately set about making plans for a new place to worship to replace the one that had stood so short a time. Early the following summer, work was started on the new church that stood on the same site as the former building.
During the year, the members were without a regular place of meeting. Weekly services were held in the home of Thomas Copeland, also in a store on the east side of the First Line operated by James Neelands.
Good progress was made with the present church, and the opening was held late in the summer of 1875. Most of the families that were associated with the building of the first church were also there when the second one was erected.
The foundation of the church is made of stone, and then three layers of long brick and three layers of short brick. This is how it is built all the way up. The corner bricks are white while most of the others are red. The brick with the old name on it is white. The bricks above the windows are also white. In the front of the church, at the top, is an arch; seven stairs (bricks) to bricks that go up to form an A.
The roof was first shingled with cedar shingles, but now it has asphalt shingles. It is very steep and a tool shed is at the back of the church. The church was kept in good repair with renovations being made from time to time.
Services were held every Sunday with a good attendance, also Sunday School with twenty-five to thirty children.
The walls were made of plaster and painted a cream colour first and later a robin’s egg blue. Oil lamps were used first. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling and along the walls on wrought iron brackets. There was a place on the pulpit for a lamp for the minister to see. The pulpit was four and a half feet high and two feet square. The front of the pulpit, where the Bible sat, was slanted, with a ledge at the bottom. At the left of the pulpit was an organ and two benches for the choir.
The church was heated by a stove. At the back were two sets of doors, and between the doors stood a table on which to put the hymn books.
One of the congregation’s money-making ventures was a yearly garden party held on the lawns of members of the congregation. A platform was built outside the front door of the house so a piano could be put in place for the entertainment. The entertainers consisted of singers, comedians, elocutionist, magicians and sometimes violin and orchestra music performed by local and outside talent.
Down the lawn was a booth where one could purchase ice cream cones at 5¢ a cone, lemonade at 5¢ a cup and a chocolate bar for 5¢. The lemonade was made with lemons squeezed and put with water in a milk can.
A Delco lighting system was hooked up. It was put on the platform for the performers and also strung along the booth and here and there on posts around the grounds. Planks were placed on blocks on the lawn in front of the platform for the audience to sit and listen to the programme. Concerts were held periodically throughout the year. Plays were put on by the young people and other local talent from the community.
For years Dixon’s and Inglewood were on the same circuit, until church union in 1925 which brought many changes. The churches of Cheltenham and Mayfield were added to the circuit. For awhile they carried on with one minister assisted by a lecturer in psychology at the University of Toronto. At the last general meeting of the board, it was decided one minister could do the work at the three charges on the circuit.
It was also generally agreed that those attending Dixon’s Church were within driving distance of the other churches of the same denomination and so it was decided to close Dixon’s Church and just have one minister; the circuit being composed of Inglewood, Cheltenham and Mayfield. Dixon’s Church closed June 30, 1932 for weekly services.
The cemetery is to the south side of the church. Around the year 1945, the conference gave the cemetery committee authority to change the name to Dixon’s Union Cemetery. A cemetery meeting is held the first Monday in June to elect the executive and directors for the coming year.
A memorial service is held the second Sunday in September to pay respect to those who have passed away in the past year. A minister from one of the local churches or the Salvation Army Captain and Band conduct the services and lead in the sung service.
The cemetery is kept in excellent condition and all the stones, with a few exceptions, are standing on solid foundations. The oldest stone had the name of an infant, Hugh C. Dunsmore, who died on February 3, 1849, at the age of 27 months. Another bears the name of Henry Dunsmore who was eight months of age. The plot sizes are for two, four or eight people to be buried. There is also a potter’s grave for individuals who have died and have no relatives. The City or Township pays the funeral expenses.
In the early years, the interment was during the winter and summer, now burials are from May to November. In the year 1951, a Static labour law came in. Nine or ten people came and raised the floor and put in an underground vault to store the bodies during the winter. Cement had to be added to the foundation to re-enforce it. The burial services can now be held inside out of the cold.
A lowering device that was given to the church was installed. There is a trolley that brings the casket in and puts it on the lowering device. After the service it is lowered the rest of the way and stored in the vault. A trap door was made, where the choir used to sit, to go down to the vault.
The excellent condition of the church and cemetery area is a credit to the executive, directors and caretakers.
Ruth Marshall Delaney, 1991
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