Dossier 2006.9.1.2 - Wesleyan Cemetery Newspaper Clippings

The Wesleyan Methodist Cemetery was active for burials in the town of Port Hope from 1835-1871, located on Pine Street. The cemetery was closed in 1871 and in 1931 the remains were reported to have been moved to the Port Hope Union Cemetery and the land was sold toe the Trustees of the Port Hope High School. In 1931, a judge of the United Counties of Northumberland and Durham approved the closure of the Wesleyan Methodist Cemetery on Pine Street, Port Hope and the removal of bodies to Union Cemetery on Toronto Road, Port Hope. In 2002, after the sale of the property (originally built as the Port Hope High School in 1896 and later used as Dr. M. S. Hawkins School) the development of the property into luxury condominiums began. During the excavation of what was the play ground, human remains were found, indicating that not all of the remains had been moved in 1931 to Union Cemetery. As a result, the Port Hope United Church, Municipality of Port Hope, the Port Hope Cemetery Board and the Ministry of Business and Consumer Affairs worked together with the developer to have the remains removed from the site to Trent University for examination and tests and later re-interred at Union Cemetery. In 2005 the last of the remains were re-interred at Port Hope Union Cemetery.