Notice of Intention to Designate - Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery

On September 13, 2021, Oakville Town Council resolved to pass a Notice of Intention to Designate the following property under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.18, as amended, as a property of cultural heritage value and interest:

Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery Cultural Heritage Landscape

Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery (Knox Sixteen) is located at the southwest corner of Dundas Street West and Lions Valley Park Road. It is surrounded by residential development to the east, Sixteen Mile Creek valley to the south and west, and Dundas Street West to the north. Municipally, it is identified as 1150 Dundas Street West. The 0.603 hectare (1.49 acre) property is the location of Knox Sixteen’s church and cemetery. The property is adjacent to Lions Valley Park, the location of the now lost village of Sixteen Hollow.

Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery is an Organically Evolved (Continuing) cultural heritage landscape. As the original location of the community’s first church and cemetery, the Knox Sixteen CHL has significance because of its direct associations with an institution (the church) that is significant to a community. Further, it yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of the earliest members of the area’s Presbyterian community; to the 19th century community (Sixteen Hollow), its evolution and its eventual disappearance; and, to the current Presbyterian community.

Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery has historical and associative value because of its direct association with the lost village of Sixteen Hollow and the area’s development throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, including its earliest residents and the earliest members of the Presbyterian community. Many individuals who played a significant role in the development of the church and community are buried in the cemetery, including some of the first European pioneers who settled in Trafalgar Township. Knox Sixteen yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of its parishioners and their religious needs and burial practices over almost two centuries of history. Further, the property yields, or has the potential to yield, information about the lost village of Sixteen Hollow, the former Trafalgar Township, and Oakville.

The Knox Presbyterian CHL has design value as a representative example of a mid 19th century protestant church and cemetery. The CHL has design and physical value for its 1846 church and cemetery. The church is an early and representative example of Gothic Revival architecture, which at the time was the most common style for religious buildings in Ontario. Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery displays a high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit, and is unique as one of the only remaining structures associated with the lost village of Sixteen Hollow. As the final resting place of some of Sixteen Hollow’s earliest residents, Knox Sixteen’s cemetery is an excellent example of an intact, mid-19th century protestant church cemetery. The cemetery includes early and representative examples of headstones, as well as unique monuments that display a high degree of craftsmanship. Still in active use, the cemetery contains a variety of grave markers and monuments that document the many changes in burial practices from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. These changes are manifest in the material, size, shape, design, inscriptions, symbols, construction techniques, and location of the grave markers and monuments.

Knox Sixteen’s cemetery also has design and physical value for its natural heritage features, including the steep, densely treed slope of the Sixteen Mile Creek ravine and the property’s neatly manicured lawn with large trees and mature shrubs. Family members of the deceased have planted many of these, and together they provide shade and visual interest to the cemetery. In addition to the natural heritage features, the cemetery has significant hardscaping features, including decorative metal fences and gates, one which runs the length of the north and east sides of the cemetery, and another which surrounds the Triller family plot; and, multiple benches, affording visitors a place of quiet reflection. Knox Sixteen cemetery’s natural and hardscaping attributes reflect its almost 175-year evolution. It has cultural heritage value for its park-like setting within a rapidly expanding urban area, which contributes to a tranquil, scenic space that supports individuals and communities through their experiences of loss, grief, and commemoration. These natural and hardscaping attributes are integrated with the grave markers, monuments and other structures within the cemetery. Together, they combine to create a tranquil, natural setting which is steeped in history and memory.

Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery is prominently located along Dundas Street West, a significant historic military road whose construction was ordered to facilitate the early development of Upper Canada, and consequently Trafalgar Township. For the past 175 years, Knox Sixteen has retained its original function in its original location. As such, Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery has contextual value because it defines, maintains, and supports the character of the area; it remains physically, functionally, visually, and historically linked to its surroundings; and, it is a highly visible local landmark. The CHL’s park-like setting with its open space surrounding the church and the many mature trees and shrubs dotted throughout the property define the boundary of this historic place, which was once an integral part of an important scenic rural road and a bustling resource village. The property remains linked to its surroundings, including the historic access road to the lost village of Sixteen Hollow; Sixteen Mile Creek ravine and valley including Lions Valley Park and, the surrounding 20th and 21st century suburban neighbourhoods.

The heritage attributes of the Knox Presbyterian Church Sixteen and Cemetery’s Cultural Heritage Landscape relate to its overall cultural heritage value, its historical/associative, design/physical and contextual values. These include:

Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than October 25, 2021. Objections should be directed to the Town Clerk, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario L6H 0H3.

Further information respecting this proposed designation is available from the Town of Oakville. Any inquiries may be directed to Susan Schappert, heritage planner at 905-845-6601, ext. 3875 (TTY 905-338-4200), or by email at susan.schappert@oakville.ca.

The last date to file a notice of objection is October 25, 2021.