John G. Howard Mausoleum

Nominated for the Peter Stokes Restoration Award: Small-Scale/Individual/Small Business

The John Howard Mausoleum stands as a deeply symbolic heritage site within Toronto’s High Park. Designed by the city’s first professional architect, surveyor, and civil engineer, the tomb was built by John Howard for his wife Jemima and himself. Positioned near their former home, Colborne Lodge, the mausoleum holds cultural and architectural significance.

The project faced significant technical and conservation challenges. Century-old joints, uneven masonry, structural deterioration, and incomplete documentation required advanced planning and careful execution. Before any dismantling could begin, extensive risk assessment was conducted. The entire upper structure—including the finial, double-pediment masonry, and internal brick cores—had to be catalogued, delicately dismantled, repaired, and rebuilt. The iron fencing, believed to have been salvaged from St. Paul’s Cathedral in the UK, and intricate details like the Maltese cross, added complexity to both conservation and historical interpretation. Deterioration to the fieldstone and rubble masonry cairn also required deep repointing, back-pointing, and injection-grouting to consolidate it. Individual carved Queenston limestone and Vermont marble elements were cleaned and repaired. Cracked or eroded stones were strengthened with epoxy grouting and organic consolidant application and the upper portion of the monument was rebuilt.

The mausoleum is a key stop on High Park’s Halloween ghost tours and a visual and historical touchstone in the park. Restoring it has renewed interest in the Howards’ role in shaping Toronto, from Howard’s contributions to the city’s early infrastructure to their philanthropic legacy—most notably the donation of High Park itself. The project fostered public appreciation for built heritage and improved accessibility and safety around the site.

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John G. Howard Mausoleum before and after restoration

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