A New St. Mark's Publication
There has been a burial ground in this location since at least 1782, when Leonard Plank, a retired soldier of Butler's Rangers, was interred here. It was, until the mid 1830's, the final resting place of all the town's people, young and old, ordinary, and prominent. More than 2,000 of them lie here in this idyllic plot of land that is not far from Fort George and overlooks the mouth of the mighty Niagara. Monuments of every size, of marble, granite, slate, and of many styles proclaim the stories of lives lived. This is an extraordinarily historic, and beautiful place and one of significance for all Canadians.
Cosmo Condina, a prominent photographer of international reputation, grew up in our town and knows the cemetery well. During the summer of 2024, encouraged by Sally Mitchell, his trusty Hasselblad in hand, he focused his trained and astute eye and so captured images, not only of the essence of our cemetery, and its history, but more importantly, he caught the spirt of the lives of those here interred.
This superb fifty page publication will be digitally printed by Carruthers Printery of Smithville on 100 lb. Creator Silk paper and hardbound with hinge pages stab-stitched by Van Huizen Bindery of St. Catharines. Never before has our cemetery been so perfectly captured on film and so professionally presented. Profits from the sale of this publication will aid with St. Mark's Cemetery's on-going tree maintenance and monument restoration programmes.
We invite interested, and supportive individuals, to become patrons of this unique publication. Patrons' names will be listed in the front of the editioned volumes, a large portion of the patron's donation will be eligible for an income tax receipt and they will receive their unique copies at a formal reception in St. Mark's Addison Hall from 3:00-5:00 on Thursday, May 22, 2025.
Patrons: two hundred dollars ($200.00 Cdn)
To ensure your patronage, and for further information, contact Donald Combe at donaldcombe@me.com or 905.932.4175.
St. Mark's Archives Committee, Addison Library, and Cemetery
For over thirty years Ann Lindsay, Betty Magnacca (deceased), Sandra Woodruff, Donald Combe, and Fred Habermehl worked to collect, preserve and make available the rich history of this, the first parish of the Diocese of Niagara. From a few files and some books and photos, the group managed to gather enough materials to fill four large filing cabinets and two large cupboards as well as publish numerous newspaper articles, countless pamphlets and brochures, and publish 13 books all on the history of St.Mark's. They compiled an exhaustive inventory of the church and its treasures. The committee oversaw the restoration of the 1840 plaques which are at the front of the chancel. They undertook the restoration of the WWl plaque, which was restored to its rightful place in the sanctuary. They contributed substantially to the restoration of the bells as well as the refurbishment of the stained glass windows.
Many of the Archives Publications are still available.
COMPLETE LIST HERE
Cemetery
Although the Cemetery Board is a separate group, the Archivists were responsible for remapping the cemetery and updating all cemetery records as well as assuming responsibility for the shelving and cataloguing of all the materials in the Addison Library. The Archivists work closely with Peter Babcock, Murray Wilcox, and David Antscherl and their on-going work in the Addison Library.
St. Mark's Archived materials now reside with the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
In order to ensure its on-going preservation and accessibility, the entire archive of St. Mark's materials and objects was transferred to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum in 2023.
All historical and genealogical enquiries should be addressed to the:
Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum
43 Castlereagh Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, L0S 1J0
Phone: 905-468-3912
Fax: 905-468-1728
Email: contact@nhsm.ca
Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum - Collections and Research
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum holds one of Ontario's most significant local history collections. Their Online Collections Database features many pieces from their collection and is constantly growing as more material is digitized. Click on the Collections Database link to explore what's accessible online!
Please note that digital images ordered through the Museum's online database are subject to a $15 fee. In addition, images requested for commercial use are subject to additional fees. You will be contacted by Museum staff regarding your request and pricing.
Onsite Research Services
The Museum's Research Room is open by appointment only. It provides visitors with access to thousands of photographs, the museum database, research files and more.
A $15.00 service charge will be applied for non-members. Contact the Museum to book your appointment.
Please note that all prices are subject to change and current information can be found on the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum's website or by contacting the Museum directly: Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum Collections and Research
