The two brass plaques on the Caledon East Cenotaph were originally part of a concrete cenotaph in front of the Caledon East Branch 292 Legion Hall. The Caledon East Legion Hall was built in 1923 to commemorate the men who served in the First World War. The Legion first purchased the building and lot (front half of Lot 10) from Mr. Evans. The building was eventually tom down and a one-story hall built in its place.
On November 11, 1944, members of the local Canadian Legion and citizens of the village and surrounding communities gathered at the Legion Hall to pay tribute to those who had made the supreme sacrifice in the previous Great War and a beautiful cenotaph, erected by the members of the local Legion, was unveiled in their honour. The cenotaph was designed by First World War Veteran Norman Hutchinson.
On either side of the path leading to the front entrance of the building were two cenotaphs, one for each of the two World Wars. They were made of concrete, approximately two feet wide by three to four feet high, with a cross on top. The names of the men were printed on a plaque made of felt that was put onto a wooden back and encased in glass in the centre of the cenotaph. When this deteriorated, another was made of metal and the names were engraved on it.
In the early hours of April 26, 1959, the Caledon East Legion Hall burned to the ground. The loss was estimated at $20,000 and the cause of the fire was unknown. With the help of members and others, a new cement block hall was built. The Ladies Auxiliary worked very hard to equip the new kitchen, built cupboards, purchased a piano and supplied other necessities. The hall was dedicated on June 6, 1960, but in 1974 when a larger facility was needed the building was sold to the Town of Caledon for $32,000, to become the Caledon East Community Memorial Hall for local seniors. The two cenotaphs were demolished, but the plaques were preserved.
In June 2004, the Town of Caledon moved the memorial to a place of greater prominence, in front to the newly renovated Town of Caledon Administration Centre. A formal re-dedication ceremony was held on November 11, 2004.
