The Heritage Tree workshop in Ottawa on June 8 attracted nearly 80 participants. This remarkable example in Toronto, a white oak, is estimated to be about 260 years ago. It was a young tree in 1749 when the French established their second trading fort, Fort Toronto, at the foot of the Portage – the fort from which Toronto takes its name. Photo from the website of Trees Ontario, at http://www.treesontario.ca/programs/htrees.php
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The Cedar Hill school house, formerly S.S. No. 1 served as a school for 94 years from 1874 to 1968. It is the only municipally owned one-room school building in Lanark County.The first school was a log building constructed in 1842. The location is described as midway across lot 6, near the gully on the 8th line in Upper Pakenham. A cost of 5 pounds was estimated to build, prepare, and furnish the school. The second log school house was built near the cross roads, on the south corner of lot 6W. It’s noted too that James Connery was the only teacher at the first log building, and first teacher in the second log school.
This interior shot of the Cedar Hill school in 1957, courtesy of David Donaldson, is from the website ‘Ottawa Valley One-Room Schools’, at http://www.oneroomschoolhouses.ca/pakenham-township.html
The property is prominently bordered by large sugar maples
Vines cover much of the piled field stone fence which, along with some fine old maples, serve as the western boundary of the property.
A closer look at the Cedar Hill school house maples will reveal several tap holes that were used for gathering sap to make syrup.
.The mighty maples which now tower over the road and school house property at Cedar Hill were planted more than a century ago.
