Constructed circa 1929-30 in the Glory of God and the memory of those who made the supreme sacrifice.

The Lakefield War Memorial was erected by the people of Lakefield and district to perpetuate the memory of her sons who paid the supreme sacrifice in the service of their God and country. It was unveiled and dedicated to the village heroic dead on Sunday, June 1, 1930. The memorial was unveiled by Colonel Anderson, D.S.O. district officer, commanding Military District No. 2

Prayers of dedication were offered by Ven. Archdeacon J.C. Davidson chaplain of the 93 battalion in the presence of a very large representative gathering of citizens of Lakefield and district, also comrades from the Canadian Legion, the clergy, militia, cadets and school children.

The memorial is executed in Canadian gray granite and takes the form of a Celtic Cross or Cross of Sacrifice bearing the names of those who died for the cause of freedom. The memorial faces west and is erected on the Town Hall Square. Underneath the cross of Sacrifice, which is chiseled in bold relief on the front of the Cenotaph, is inscribed, "To the Glory of God and the Memory of Those Who Made the Supreme Sacrifice 1914-1918."

Also attending the unveiling were the relatives of those named on the memorial, with many of the women (still deeply in mourning) proudly displaying the medals of husbands or sons. Small boys from the Grove School represented the young generation to whom the war was only history. Behind them stood the citizens of Lakefield in phalanx 4 and 5 deep. The troops and ex-servicemen, headed by Lakefield Citizens band under bandmaster Walter Madill, marched down Bridge Street to the tune of "God Bless the Prince of Wales." At their head was Standard-bearer Sergeant Thomas Cunningham. At the rear was the Lakefield High School Cadets under Cadet Captain Ronald Kemp, and the Grove School Cadets Corps under cadet captain John MaCuley with their bugle band in charge of bandmaster Beardmore, son of Colonel Beardmore of the Toronto Grenadiers, and colour party with Colourbearer J. McCrae, ex-servicemen of the Canadian Legion, Lakefield Post No. 77 in command of President J.R. Hill M.M., and a detachment of the Peterborough Rangers and the 3rd Company 4th Machine Gun corps.

The guard of honour, in the charge of Sergeant Stenner, an old soldier of the Afghan and South African campaigns, and member of the original Princess Patricians Canadian Light Infantry, took up their positions on each of the four corners on the grass plot surrounding the Cenotaph. The other members of the honour guard were Lawrence Charlton, Edward Tighe and Arthur Barker. The last two were former members of the 93 Battalion. The outer guard was supplied by members of the Peterborough Rangers Regiment and was changed periodically.

Rev. A.W. Mackenzie, D.D., principal of the Grove School, gave the introductory address. The speaker called attention to the presence of an old comrade, John Edwards, who served in the Fenian Raids and who is one of the last of that company of men who served under, Colonel Anderson, read the honour roll and then unveiled the Cenotaph while bugler, Cadet C. Warren, sounded the Last Post. This was followed by an interval of two minutes' silence and the sounding of the Reveille, at which time the guard of honour and all troops on parade stood at attention. "O Canada" was sung by the entire assembly and a short address given by Colonel Charles Ackerman who read the funeral oration of Pericles. Colonel Ackerman also called attention to the flag which had shrouded the memorial. It had been presented by Lord Jellicoe to the Canadian Legion and was lent by that organization for this occasion.

W.H. Casement, of the War Memorial Committee, presented the Cenotaph to the town of Lakefield, to be taken care of by the citizens for all time. In accepting the honour, Reeve C.S. Tanner said, "We also accept the responsibility for caring for and protecting it. We are honoured to accept the sacred duty."

Work was completed on the memorial during the second week of February of 1930. The contractor, John Coughlin of Peterborough, built the monument in six sections, each weighing approximately four and one-half tons, with gray granite obtained from Stanstead, Quebec. The memorial committee was composed of the following: Rev. A.W. Mackenzie, W.H. Casement, postmaster, G.G. Connell, manager of the Royal Bank, R.E.Nevison, former manager of the local branch Canadian Bank of Commerce, J.R. Hill, and K.A. Mackenzie, who represented the veterans of the Legion, M.P. Kennedy, who was the first man in Lakefield to enlist on the outbreak of W.W.I., Mrs. W.M. Graham, and Miss B Graham.