1891 Town Hall, St. Mary’s, Ontario
1891 Town Hall, St. Mary’s, Ontario
Image by Ken Lund
St. Marys is a town in southwestern Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Thames River southwest of Stratford in Perth County. St. Marys has a population of 6,293 as of the 2001 Census. The town is also known by its nickname, "The Stone Town", due to the abundance of limestone in the surrounding area, giving rise to a large number of limestone buildings and homes throughout the town. St. Marys Cement, a large cement producer founded in the town, capitalized on this close feedstock, and grew to be a major producer of cement in the province of Ontario.
It is the burial place of Arthur Meighen, Canada’s 9th Prime Minister. Timothy Eaton, who went on to become one of Canada’s greatest retailers, opened his first businesses in Canada in St. Marys and nearby Kirkton, Ontario.
St. Marys is home to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
St. Marys contains many 19th century buildings built with locally quarried limestone. Notable buildings include the Opera House built in 1880, the spired municipal Town Hall built in 1891, and the Public Library built in 1904.
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame moved to St. Marys from Toronto in 1994 and opened in 1998. It is dedicated to preserving Canada’s baseball heritage. Since opening, 75 members (46 players, 23 builders, 2 honorary, 4 honorary teams) have been inducted. It includes professional ballplayers, amateurs, builders and honorary members who have helped popularize the sport in Canada. The facility also includes a baseball field designed by landscape architect Art Lierman of London, Ontario.
The Grand Trunk Trail is a walkway transformed from a two kilometre section of the former Grand Trunk Railway line. The trail features a walk over the restored Sarnia bridge, providing panoramic views over the town.
The Wildwood Dam is a dam located on Trout Creek, upstream of the Town of St. Marys.
The Quarries consist of two former limestone quarries located in southern St. Marys, one of which has been rehabilitated as an outdoor swimming pool. The area became a popular swimming spot with locals after filling with water between 1930 and 1935. In 1945 the town bought the quarries along with 50 acres (200,000 m2) of surrounding land, and now manages it as a public recreational facility.
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