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Institutional Monument

The John Howard Mausoleum sits across from Colborne Lodge in High Park in an enclosed cemetery on the south side of Colborne Lodge Drive. John Howard designed and erected the Howard Mausoleum in 1875, after which he and his wife Jemima were interred.

The mausoleum consists of a massive granite fieldstone cairn surmounted with a short green-grey Vermont marble pedestal faced with Composite-order pilasters, on top of which sits another marble pedestal and Celtic cross. A vertical marble tablet is set slightly infront of the Cairn at grade.

In 2023 our office was retained by Toronto Museums & Heritage Services to carry out an investigation into the condition of the funerary mausoleum. A detailed inspection was undertaken including taking of core samples from the cairn to attempt to determine the position of the burial chamber and the condition of the core of the foundation and upper cairn rubble masonry.

In 2024 Tender documents were prepared for the dismantling, repair and rebuilding of the upper marble masonry, grouting of the granite cairn and overall cleaning and chemical consolidation of the heavily soiled and corroded marble, and the limestone capitals. A fully-enclosed scaffold was erected around the mausoleum to enable the project to continue through the winter months and ensure high-quality execution of the stone conservation work.

The project was executed by Clifford Restoration Limited and completed in 2025.