When passing through Limehouse, most would consider it a quiet hamlet, but that wasn’t always the case. Over 130 years ago, it was a beehive of activity - one of the largest industrial hubs in the area.
The historical village, known today as Limehouse, was first settled in 1820 when Adam Stull obtained the Crown deed for lot 22, concession 6 of Esquesing Township. About two years later, John Meredith took possession of the neighbouring lot 23.
It would not be until almost 20 years later when a Mr. Clendenning purchased both properties and operated a sawmill, naming the community Fountain Green.
Along with a sawmill, it was also around this time that the lime industry started to operate in the area when Mr. Lindsay and Mr. Farquhar opened their ‘set’ lime kilns. Prior to commercial lime making, many settlers burned lime locally on their farms in a very primitive manner.
Then, by the early 1850s, Mr. Bescoby and Worthington had established another lime kiln operation in the area, later to be purchased by Gowdy and Moore in 1857 to form the Toronto Lime Company.
A key turning point in the limestone industry was when the Grand Trunk Railway came through in 1856, allowing lime to be shipped to other communities for the purpose of cement production. The introduction of the railway also led to the settlement receiving a post office, which saw the name change from Fountain Green to Limehouse, with John Newton as the first postmaster.
Since the train’s introduction, industry continued to grow in Limehouse throughout the late 1850s and ‘60s, leading to the opening of a woolen mill and a fire-proof paint factory - a business that was started by Newton and a partner named Meilke, later to be taken over by Newton’s son James in 1874.
At the height of Limehouse’s industrial age, the Halton County Atlas of 1877 reported that the amount of goods shipped from the Limehouse train station was 4,130 tonnes, principally of lime and lumber, at a cost of $5,004. There were even plans to expand Limehouse, but the additional survey lots were never developed.
As for the fire-proof paint factory, it proved to be quite successful, selling to markets across Canada, the United States, Britain, and even as far as Australia. The paint company won many awards for their product, including a bronze medal at the Chicago World Fair of May 1893.
Even though business was strong, this would only last until October 12 of the same year as tragedy struck. The entire village was threatened by fire which, despite being producers of fire-proof paint, destroyed the entire paint factory.
The fire also burned down the woolen and lumber mills, and 100 cords of wood for the Toronto Lime Company, but was prevented from spreading any further, thanks to the quick action of the Georgetown Fire Brigade. After the fire, the paint company did not rebuild due to a lack of insurance.
Over time, as economic demands changed, industry in Limehouse slowly dwindled, eventually leading to the closure of the lime kilns in 1915, with other lime kilns operating in nearby Dolly Varden until 1931.
Today, all that remains of Limehouse’s industries are the remnants of the lime kilns and powder house, which can be seen as you walk along the Bruce Trail, giving us a glimpse into Limehouse’s industrial past.
