Rockside Cultural Heritage Landscape Study - Town of Caledon

Rockside Cultural Heritage Landscape Study
Town of Caledon
The location of the original school on Mississauga Road has already been noted. Prior to
1860 a second, frame schoolhouse was built at the northeast corner of James Hunter’s 50
acre lot (Lot 3 E½ Concession 6 WHS). This building, with a raised teacher’s dias, seems
to have served the community for a long period. 27 Shown at this location on the 1859
Tremaine Map and the 1877 County
Atlas map, it was finally superseded by
the fine stone schoolhouse on
Mississauga Road in 1890 (Inventory
#14). The stone school, built apparently
in close proximity to the original log
school, operated until 1963. It now
makes a very impressive private home.
As in many closely knit rural
communities, neighbours assisted each
other in the larger tasks which confronted
them, often imbuing the activity with the
air of celebration. Local barn raisings,
quilting bees and maple sugaring are all
documented as having continued well
into the 20 th century.
Barn raising at Maple Hill Farm
Photo credit: Belfountain” Caves, Castles and Quarries
3. Elements
Circulation Networks
Circulation through the area continues to be along the historic concession roads and
sideroads, which, with the exception of Mississauga Road, essentially retain much of
their original character. While Mississauga Road and Olde Base Line Road are paved, the
other roads in the study area remain as gravel roads. Chinguacousy Road at the eastern
edge of the study area still dead-ends at the Escarpment and Creditview Road retains its
historic re-orientation westward at Lot 1, forming a picturesque corner for the
MacDonald cemetery. The curve of the Escarpment, and the rolling terrain that lent itself
to the formation of the Badlands, also creates the roller coaster effect of Olde Base Line
Road, eastward from this point. The Grange Sideroad, while narrow and winding
between Winston Churchill Boulevard and Chinguacousy Road, becomes tortuous where
it breaches the Escarpment and has always been impassable under certain conditions (it is
closed during the winter months). Olde Base Line Road thus is the key road for east/west
movement through the area.
Boundary Demarcations
The clearest area boundary is at the east, formed by the eastern edge of the Escarpment.
Rockside nestles up to this natural feature, which curls around it to the southeast and
27 Berniece Trimble, Belfountain Caves, Castles and Quarries. (Erin: Herrington Printing, 1975),pp.118-119.
19