Brockville Cemetery Memorial Works
The Brockville Cemetery Memorial Works
Just past the Lyn road on the south side of the highway you would come to this next business.
Lancelot de Carle was the founder of the business now known as Brockville Cemetery Memorial Works.
Lancelot de Carle was first in business in Prescott on that town’s King Street one door west of Norton Miller’s bookstore. De Carle advertised gravestones, monuments etc. in marble, granite or sandstone.
His first local plant was set up in 1861 at No.8 Railroad Street, Brockville north to the railway tracks and it is presumed that the marble works were located on the west of the street near its junction with King Street. The street began life with the name Buell Street, but for some years was known as “Railroad St.” n it reverted back to Buell and has been known by that name ever since.
In the 1866 Fuller’s Directory of Brockville, Lancelot’s business was identified as “Central Canada Marble and Stone Works”
In 1875 the de Carle works passed into the hands of Lancelot’s son Leopold. The plant moved in 1869 from Railroad Street to a point on the south side of old No.2 Highway near the Brockville Cemetery.
Leopold called his factory “Brockville Cemetery Marble Works”. The family chose the site in order to be close to the burying grounds However, de Carle stones blossomed in cemeteries throughout the United Counties.
Their two story headquarters was equipped with pneumatic drills for engraving and used the most modern machinery of the times as well as employing highly skilled mechanics.
Leopold de Carle himself was an expert craftsman as well as an astute businessman and a pillar of the community. His literature proclaimed “Always on hand a large stock of finished work fro which to select in marble and granite. I import direct from the famous granite quarries in Scotland and Sweden and also from various quarries in Canada and the United States. Superior Designs and lowest estimate supplied on application”
John Johnston, who lived on the Lyn Road not far from the marble works was employed as one of the stone masons carving and chiselling the various headstones.
“Fred W.Grant took over the business in 1946. He joined the firm at 18 in 1927 and retired in 1974. Fred died on January 14, 1983. In 1966 the original building was torn down and relocated a short distance to the east of the original building. The reason for this move was that with a four lane highway running right in front of the door, parking had become almost non existent. The new brick building will feature a modern design and new equipment. It is built to the east of the old one and has ample parking facilities.” (R&T June 15, 1966)
The business was sold to George and Peter Rigos of Kingston.
(excerpts from the R&T- Darling Scrapbook No. 1 pg 135)