Ontario Abandoned Places will be rebranded as Ominous Abandoned Places

Cheltenham Brickworks Gallery

Abandoned Industrial in Caledon, Ontario, Canada

Sep 28 2010

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Recent status Abandoned
Location # 2003

History of Cheltenham Brickworks Gallery

This impressive site's construction began back in 1820 when Charles Haines, a millwright from Cheltenham, England emigrated to the area. A year later he built himself a small settlement and in 1848 gave it the name of Cheltenham. In 1827 he added a grist mill. The area was rich in "medina shale" which was hard clay that made excellent bricks when fired in kilns. By 1848 two distilleries were in operation producing liquor such as Cheltenham Wheat Whiskey. Five years later the town could boast not one but three hotels: Henry's, The North American, and The Saville (operated by John Saville).


THE ERA OF CHELTENHAM BRICKWORKS GALLERY

A decade later the town could boast of having a mill, three hotels, two general stores, four shoemakers, a tailor, a dressmaker, and a milliner.

In 1866 the town consisted of three mills, a trunk and saddle maker, a stove dealer, wagon maker, cabinet maker, blind maker and upholsterer, two bonnet makers, carpenter, insurance maker, Baptist church, and Orange Lodge.

In 1887 Haines added a store, hotel, and two-story house after a fire in 1886, destroyed an entire block of original buildings including Henry's hotel. Many of those reconstructed buildings remain to this day. The town received telephone service in 1910 and has 124 subscribers.

In 1914, the Interprovincial Brick Company took over the brick-making operations on Mississauga Road to expand their brick-making operations. Six downdraft kilns and one continuously firing kiln allowed the company to produce 90,000 bricks at once.

To provide accommodation for their workers, the company established a small town on the site. Rent was $13 a month which was cheaper than nearby Terra Cotta.

The downfall of the gallery

A fire in 1948 destroyed the grist mill. It is not known if it was rebuilt or not.

The town's population began to decline in the 1950s. The brick-making continued until 1958 when the Interprovincial Brick Company ceased operations. Domtar took over the site and demolished the worker's homes.

In 1993 Brampton Brick reopened the brickyards for shale extraction. They have preserved the original brickworks behind a chain-link fence.

Comments

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6 years ago

Buildings are sealed tight unless you're an insect, except for the old silo which has a top and bottom part that can both be accessed. You can only go in the bottom half of the silo but you'll need a flashlight. The top half of the silo is extremely dangerous, the interior structure has completely collapsed in on itself and there's visible mold everywhere. Additionally, being the only hole to get in or out, there's a 99% chance you'll get a face full of pigeons the second you peek in

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6 years ago

Spotted some neat relics in rubble here, in 2017! Some old cans at least 50 years old and some old tools. Incredible place for an archeologist, expansive underground systems and old living quarters make for many lost treasures

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10 years ago

This was my first explore ever. The gate was open when we entered, but someone had locked it when we were ready to leave. There were 2 cars parked out front. I panicked and said eff this barbed wire fence, so we jumped it. Sorta a great moment, but I learned my lesson to read up more on the places I visit and take extreme caution. I later learned that there's a hole in the fence. Well done!

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11 years ago

@ riddim yes its been a frantic pace...still need to get out with you again...you were in kitchener last weekend were you not? you should have given a heads up!

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11 years ago

Doom, at the rate you're going you'll have explored southern Ontario by the end of the summer!

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12 years ago

was at this site October 10, 2011. not a great site. Access is easy.