Back to SearchNotice of Intention to Pass a By-Law to Designate
The following property to be of Cultural Heritage Value and Interest Pursuant to the Provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act (R.S.O. 1990, Chapter 0.18)
Take Notice that the Council of The Corporation of the Township of Uxbridge intends to pass a by-law under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter 0.18, to designate the following lands to be of cultural heritage value and interest:
6800 Concession Road 6 (PT LT 29 CON 5 UXBRIDGE AS IN YKU1343; UXBRIDGE), known as the Quaker Meeting House;
Statement of Cultural Heritage Value and Interest
Description of Property
The property at 6800 Concession Road 6, known as the Quaker Meeting House, is situated on the west side of Concession Road 6, south of Durham Regional Road 8 in the Township of Uxbridge. The property contains a one-storey wood frame building set back from the road with a long unpaved driveway bordered by trees, the entrance to the building faces south and is visible from the road.
Design and Physical Value
The Quaker Meeting House is a rare and representative style of an early 19th century Quaker meeting house (criterion 1). Constructed c. 1820 it is the earliest remaining building in Uxbridge Township. In its simplicity of design, including its board and batten cladding and lack of ornamentation, it reflects the Quaker philosophy of plainness and restraint.
Constructed on a rectangular footprint with hand-hewn timber, the one-storey building is clad in board and batten with a gable roof over the main structure. The main (south) elevation has a full length verandah with a shed style roof, supported by five slim wooden posts. Behind, the main façade can be divided into three regularly spaced bays. The outer bays each contain an entrance flanked on one side by a six-over-six flat-headed window opening, while the centre bay contains a pair of flat-headed window openings. The eastern and western elevations are similar, and each contain a centered single flat-headed window opening. The north elevation contains two flat-headed window openings.
Alterations include the relocation of the interior partition to create a Sunday School area resulting in the reconfiguration of the doorway and window openings on the south elevation which changed the architectural symmetry of the building (c. 1881). The removal of a low brick chimney, the removal of a low shed-roofed addition on the north elevation and the removal of a large drive shed, originally located to the west of the Meeting House were further alterations. Restoration work was completed c. 1995 and included new footings, foundation walls, and floor joists. The east window, which was blocked in, was reopened with glazing and wood trim, and the veranda was replaced.
Historical and Associative Value
The Quaker Meeting House has historical value for its association with the Quakers (also known as the Religious Society of Friends) and their early settlement of the Uxbridge area, as well as Alma Gould Dale, a prominent member of the community (criterion 4).
In 1800, settlers from diverse groups began moving northward and eastward from York (Toronto) along Yonge Street. The Township of Uxbridge was surveyed in the winter of 1804/1805 and the first 12 Quaker families who settled in the Uxbridge and Whitchurch-Stouffville area arrived shortly thereafter. Many had come from the Catawissa area of Pennsylvania. Of the eight settler families who received land grants in the township, six were Quakers. As other members of the Quaker community had to buy their land from absentee owners, the Quakers found themselves scattered across the north-east corner of the township having to use horns to communicate in the untouched forest.
In 1809 the members of the Religious Society of Friends bought land from Amos Armitage on the north-east corner of Lot 29, Concession 5, and proceeded to construct a log meeting house. At the same time, they bought land across the road from Robert Willson for a burial ground. In 1820, a frame building was erected on the same site by a group headed by Ezekiel James. By the early 20th century, the numbers in the congregation began dropping off and the last formal meeting took place in the Meeting House in 1925. An annual service is held in June each year following the closure of the regular service.
The property has direct associations with Alma Gould Dale (1854-1930), who preached at the Meeting House between c. 1887 and 1898. Born in the Township of Uxbridge, Dale was the daughter of prominent local community member Joseph and Mary Gould. Dale was politically active in the Temperance movement and became a well-known guest speaker at Quaker meeting houses and Methodist churches in southern Ontario and Manitoba. As a recognized Quaker minister, she was also legally sanctioned to officiate at marriages and funerals. Alma was a remarkable individual well known for her horsemanship and willingness to travel far with a two-horse buggy. She is described as fluent and witty in speech, a good singer, and could turn her hand to carpentry.
The property has historical and associative value as it yields information that contributes to an understating of the Quaker culture in its settlement of the Township of Uxbridge (criterion 5). Founded in England in the mid-17 century, The Religious Society of Friends were a Christian group known for their silent worship, lack of formal rituals or clergy, testimonies against war and violence, and unadorned architecture. Uncommon for the time, they were a religious group that gave women a voice in making group decisions and the chance to speak in public. The Quakers were important in the establishment of the Uxbridge Settlement where they went on to develop prosperous farms and local businesses.
Contextual Value
The Quaker Meeting House remains in its built location and has contextual value as it is historically linked to its surroundings through its situation on a rise of land known as Quaker Hill, which overlooks the Uxbridge valley. It is functionally, visually and historically linked to the adjacent Friends’ Burial Ground, situated adjacent to the Quaker Meeting House on the east side of Concession 6, in which many of its early congregation are interred (criterion 8).
Further information regarding the proposed heritage designation of the Quaker Meeting House can be obtained by contacting the Uxbridge Heritage Committee at heritage@uxbridge.ca
Any notice of objection to this notice of intention to designate the property, setting out the reason for objection and all relevant facts, must be served upon the Township of Uxbridge Clerk within thirty (30) days of the first publication of this notice.
Dated at the Township of Uxbridge this 23rd day of July, 2025
Debbie Leroux
Director of Legislative Services/Clerk/Deputy CAO
Township of Uxbridge
Contact Us
Subscribe