Cornerstones
It used to be fashionable to add a time capsule between the bricks when a building was being constructed. The location of the time capsule was marked with a special stone usually engraved with the year, and then a ceremony was held to celebrate the occasion.
Possibly the oldest cornerstone still standing is the one laid for the county buildings when construction began in 1862. In order to separate from the United Peterborough and Victoria Counties, Kawartha Lakes had to construct its own courthouse and jail. Both construction and separation were completed in 1863. (Victoria County changed its name to Kawartha Lakes when amalgamation occurred in 2001.)
The newspaper gave an account of the cornerstone ceremony for the county buildings:
A considerable number of townspeople assembled on the ground to witness the laying of the stone… The names of the Warden and members of the County and Town Councils, copies of the local and leading provincial newspapers, some particulars connected with the buildings, and specimens of Canadian coins, were enclosed in a tin box, which was inserted in the foundation stone.
Sketch of the Francis Street Church that became a school (now demolished), from the Beall scrapbook
Cornerstones are usually forgotten about until they are accidentally unearthed during demolition, which happened in 1914 when the old Francis Street school in Lindsay was demolished by F.J. Carew’s team.
The box contained the following:
Canadian Post, 1863, Lindsay Advocate, 1863, and Lindsay Herald, 1863
Names of the building committee: J. McLennan, hardware merchant; Bradley Mowry, machinist; Orlando John McKay; Neil McDougall, sheriff; James Heap, attorney; James Watson, merchant.
Contract with the builder, Mr. Alexander, for the price $2080
List of officers, teachers and pupils of the Sunday School class.
a copy of the Presbyterian Journal of Education
minutes of the Synod for 1863
and an extract from the Crown patent.
The school was originally St. Andrew’s Presbyterian church, and the cornerstone was laid by Sheriff Neil McDougall. The box was in poor shape and the papers were handed over to J. R. McNeillie.
Other Cornerstones in Kawartha Lakes:
Laying the cornerstone for the Victoria Park Armoury in Lindsay.
Omemee - Christ Church - laid June 1874, containing a bottle encasing Canadian coins and copies of the Church Herald, the Mail, the Warder, and Canadian Post newspapers.
Bethany - St. Paul’s Anglican Church - May 1876
Lindsay - St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on William Street North - laid in June 1886.
Fenelon Falls - St. James Episcopalian Church on Bond Street - laid in 1902, containing a jar encasing a scroll that recorded the cornerstone ceremony, various Canadian coins, copies of the Fenelon Falls Gazette and the Fenelon Falls Star. The ceremony was conducted by Masons.
Oakwood - United Church - June 1912 - two cornerstones laid
Laying of the Corner Stone of the Arsenal, 1916.
Lindsay - Victoria Park Armoury on Kent Street West - laid in 1913, containing copies of the Daily and Weekly Post, the Daily and Weekly Warder, proceedings of county council, names of town and county councillors, and members of the Law Association, Board of Education, and the different Canadian coins. Honoured guests for the ceremony included General Sir Ian Hamilton and the Minister of Militia, Colonel Sam Hughes.
Lindsay - Dominion Arsenal - 1916
Lindsay - Home for the Aged expansion on Angeline Street South - September 1956
Lindsay - Ross Memorial Hospital expansion - laid in May 1960 - laid by Leslie Frost.
Lindsay - Christian Reformed Church on Angeline Street North - laid September 1961
Lindsay - Ross Memorial Hospital expansion - laid in May 1973
