Erected in 1923, the Cenotaph was originally built to honour those Richmond Hill men lost in the Great War. Located in front of the old Richmond Hill Public School at 10100 Yonge Street (now the McConaghy Centre), the Cenotaph is on Richmond Hill’s Inventory of Buildings of Architectural and Historical Importance for its architectural, contextual and historical significance.
In February to October 2016 the Richmond Hill restored the War Memorial cenotaph with $150,000 of renovations with the help of the Community War Memorial Funding, part of the Commemorative Partnership Program at Veterans Affairs Canada. The 2016 Cenotaph Restoration Project involved several elements. The crumbling stone and concrete foundation of the Cenotaph was carefully taken apart to ensure no damage was done to the monument. The original stone from the steps and landing were removed and cleaned, then used to repair other areas of the Cenotaph. A new foundation, steps and landing were installed, using new material that matched the existing old stone to maintain the historical authenticity of the monument. The restoration work also included repairing of cracks, conserving of the inscriptions, repointing of mortar joints and the application of a breathable coating to protect the Cenotaph from water damage in the future.
The Cenotaph contains a series of inscriptions that includes the names of soldiers who fought in the First and Second World Wars. Nearly 90 soldiers from Richmond Hill went to war during World War I and another 150 men from the Town fought in WWII. The memorial continues to grow as time passes and more residents of Richmond Hill bravely risk their lives to protect Canadian values at home and abroad. In 1998, a plaque was added at the Cenotaph to commemorate those who fought in the Korean War and other peacekeeping missions. Most recently, a Memorial Veteran Statue was commissioned to be built at the site of the Cenotaph as a reminder of those who died on battlefields, the missing in action, the wounded and all those who have fought and sacrificed in service to our country.
