Plaqued Houses
Table of Contents
308 William Street
The land on which the cottage was built passed between many hands before settling with Isaac Clark, who built the house and lived in it until his…
The land on which Rose Cottage stands passed back and forth in its early years between many owners. It was bought from William Chisholm in 1839 by…
296 William Street
In 1906 W. S. Davis built two brick houses on the lot, which he leased to two separate families.
This lot was initially owned by William Chisholm and had passed through several hands before being purchased in September of 1903 by William Sinclair…
295, 297 & 301 William Street
These three houses were originally a Presbyterian church, later replaced by Knox Presbyterian Church.
The Canadian Presbyterian Church, a branch of the Free Church of Scotland, began to form a congregation in 1836. Later that year they acquired their…
288 William Street
Both Joseph Boon and his brother, Isaac, were stone masons from England.
This lot was sold to Justus Williams, a local shopkeeper, in 1837 by William Chisholm. It was sold two years later to Reverend James Musgrove. It was…
226 William Street
This house served as the Rectory for St. Jude's Church from 1887 - 1979 and was originally owned by Joseph Howse and his wife Zylpha Pollard.
This house, well known as St. Jude's Rectory, was built c1874, and its first owner was Joseph Howes who operated a grocery, shoe and bookmaker's…
214 William Street
214 William Street was also known as "Barclay House" or "Ferndale" and was constructed in 1855 by John Barclay. He lived here with his wife, Jean…
John Barclay was a very important figure in the development of Oakville. He was born in Paisley, Scotland, in 1820, a son of Matthew Barclay. Matthew…
160 William Street
St. Jude's Church as been an important part of Oakville since 1839
The first mission of the Church of England and Ireland at Oakville began in 1839. Their first church building, St Jude's, was a frame building with a…
148 William Street
Built around 1835 and first occupied by Edward Anderson and his family.
The lot on which the house at 148 William Street stands was purchased by mariner Edward Anderson in January of 1834. He and his family resided in the…
145 William Street
The Sumner House was built in 1831 by William J. Sumner, where he lived with his wife Phoebe Butts Sumner and their family
William Sumner was a neighbour of William Chisholm in Nelson Township. He was proprietor of the Grove Inn, at Hannahsville, as that part of Nelson was…
115 William Street
This house began life as a general store, and then a home for Captain James Andrew and his sisters.
James Andrew came from Scotland as a youth and took up a career on the lakes, becoming a master mariner. He switched to shipbuilding about 1861 and…
133 Westside Drive
Loron W. Lang and wife Kathleen Dryland, although they were not the first owners, were the first occupants of 133 Westside Drive.
Westside Drive is part of the Glendoveer Park survey which comprises Deane, MacDonald (now called Westside Dr.) and Herald Avenues and the west side…
330 Watson Avenue
The Robertson family owned this home for at least 55 years
John Alexander Robertson was born on 14 October 1855 in Liverpool, England to parents John and Helen Robertson. His father was a joiner (woodworker)…
56 Water Street
The Oakville Club began as a warehouse belonging to William Chisholm in 1828.
The Oakville Club, situated at the foot of William Street, close to the Sixteen, stands where two or more warehouses once served the trade of…
423 Trafalgar Road
The Ashbury family owned a mill on Sixteen Mile Creek between 1900 and 1927.
This house is another one owned by the Ashbury family who operated the mill located on the river bend down the slope from what is now Cornwall Rd. The…
420 Trafalgar Road
Herbert Ashbury operated the grist mill on SIxteen Mile Creek.
In 1914, Herbert Ashbury purchased a small piece of land owned by the Oakville Basket Factory where his house was built the same year. The factory was…
411 Trafalgar Road
The house was first owned by George "Burton" Nesbitt (1922-1991).
George Burton Nesbitt was born on January 8, 1922 in Richmond, Ontario, close to Ottawa. He married Marion Moore and together they had 4 children. In…
407 Trafalgar Road
John A. Chisholm (1816-1874) was a son of the Town's founder and managed the family's mills
John Alexander Chisholm (1816-1874) was the third son of the founder, Colonel William Chisholm. He was married to Sarah Pettit Bigger (1821-1903).…
385 Trafalgar Road
William Bigger Chisholm was the co-founder of the Oakville Basket Factory
This house was built in 1881 by William Bigger Chisholm, a grandson of the founder of the town. He was a brother of Charles Pettit Chisholm who lived…
356 Trafalgar Road
This property was orignially owned by George King Chisholm, later being bought and was the original location of the Oakville Basket Factory. In 1947…
This piece of property situated along the east bank of 16 Mile Creek was once owned byGeorge King Chisholm. The 1910 Fire Insurance Plan labelled this…
348 Trafalgar Road
This house was built in 1914 and was purchased by the Bull's in 1920. By1925 it was sold to Roy Smith and Meta Klemm.
This house is one of two brick houses built side by side by the Blakelock Brothers who were builders in Oakville. At the time, there were few houses…
337 Trafalgar Road
Kerosene Castle is now occupied by MacLachlan College, a private day school.
This house, Kerosene Castle, was built about 1856 by Richard Shaw Wood, owner of The Oakville Oil Refinery which stood across the street. The refinery…
The Meeks lived in this home from 1922 to 1927.
Frank W. Meek purchased the lot on April 1, 1915 but the land remained vacant until 1921 when construction began. The house was completed the…
289 Trafalgar Road
Francis Brown was a master mariner and a world traveller.
Francis Brown was born in England 1842 and went to sea at an early age and earned his Mate's papers. Drawn by news of the discovery of oil in the…
247 Trafalgar Road
John Porquin was a millwright.
About this house George Sumner in his diary entry of 20 June 1869 says: "This afternoon Molly (her last name was Manear) and Potter's old place burned…
241 Trafalgar Road
John Potter never lived here, despite the traditional name for the home
John Potter was born in 1811 in Nova Scotia and arrived in Oakville as a young man to work on construction of the harbour piers. He settled here with…
235 Trafalgar Road
The Melancthon Simpson House was built in 1839.
Lot 1, Block 44, Plan 1 was purchased from William Chisholm by William Dolby in 1838 and the house was built about a year later, probably as one of a…
213 Trafalgar Road
The McCraney family were very important in the early settlement of Oakville
The McCraney family was very important in the development of Oakville. Moses was the eldest of 10 children born to William Payne McCraney and Rebecca…
205 Trafalgar Road
This house has had a number of owners prominent in the medical field.
John Wood purchased the property on which this house stands from William Chisholm in 1839. He was a mason and tavern keeper in Fergus. On his death it…
167 Trafalgar Road
The property was purchased by Mr. Gulledge in 1876.
This property, officially known as Lot 1, Block 90 in the original Plan of Oakville drawn by Edward Palmer, was sold by William Chisholm to James…
164 Trafalgar Road
This was one of the last great houses built in the 19th century in Oakville.
This property was purchased in 1839 from William Chisholm by his son John Alexander Chisholm who lived farther north on a large farm. John's wife was…
43 Trafalgar Road
While owned by Henry Chadwick Scholfield, it was primarily lived in by his mother-in law, Maria Sutherland and two of her daughters Irene & Grace.
This property was initially owned by William Chisholm & sold to Justice W. Williams in 1837. In 1872, upon Williams's death, the property was…
76 Thomas Street
The house was buiilt in 1866. Originally owned by Mr. John Williams, Proprietor of the Canadian Hotel
John Williams (1817-84) came to Oakville in the early days. In his youth he was a mariner on the lakes and was very popular with sailors and farmers.…
68 Thomas Street
The census records that Daniel Bray was a "Yeoman."
On 4 October 1834 William Chisholm sold the quarter-acre Lot F, Block 13, Plan 1 to Daniel Bray. The purchase document lists him as Yeoman. The sale…
32 Thomas Street
This house was the Martin family home from 1835 until 1880, swtiching ownership multiple times up until the modern day.
Hugh Martin purchased Block 21 Lot C from William Chisholm on 14 March 1835, just twoyears after the laying out of the townsite by Deputy Surveyor H.…
29 Thomas Street
Peter MacDougald gave his home the name "Glenorchy." The River Orchy flows into Loch Awe in Scotland.
Contrary to the way this impressive house appears today, it was actually built in stages over a ninety-year period. The wing with the lower roof that…
24 Thomas Street
The three workmen's cottages at the foot of Thomas Street were built by Duncan Chisholm, a nephew of the founder of Oakville.
In September 1833 William Chisholm sold Lot F, Block 21 of Plan 1 to Robert Thompson. In November 1833 it was sold again to William Earls "and wife"…
345 Sumner Avenue
345 Sumner Street was home to the Powley family, headed by Sherman Gilmore Powley, who ran the Sherman Powling Hauling Business and owned Oakville…
Erected in 1918, 345 Sumner Street was once inhabited by Sherman Gilmore Powley, married to Elishia Powley and father to Warren Powley.S. G. Powley…
338 Sumner Avenue
Samuel Busby was a labourer who likely built this home himself.
The write-up below includes parts of a document originally prepared by a former owner of the house, Terry Murphy, in 1985.This property is part of Lot…
330 Sumner Ave
William Wilson was married first to Margaret Miles until her death in 1838. He married Jane Atkinson in 1847.
Since its founding in 1827 by Col. William Chisholm, Oakville had been well populated with ship's captains, builders, carpenters and artisans whose…
294 and 298 Sumner Avenue
Two properties owned by Captain William Wilson
William Wilson and his 9 siblings came to Canada from Ireland with their widowed mother in 1817. William was 8 years old at the time. They originally…
399 Spruce Street
Robert Hobbs was a carpenter and likely was involved in the actual construction of the house.
The Information below is derived from the Heritage Research Report prepared by the Town of Oakville in June 2024:In 1808, the Crown granted Lot 12 to…
363 Spruce Street
363 Spruce Street was developed in 1910, and bought in 1924 by Henry C. Taylor and his wife, Marie Louise Taylor.
The lot was purchased by Henry C. Taylor, a commercial traveller, and wife Marie Louise Taylor on 30 Apr. 1924. This is in the area known as Tuxedo…
457 Smith Lane
457 Smith Lane traces back Lot 21, Third Concession South of Dundas Street. Hiram Smith, continuing his father's legacy, erected the iconic Ontario…
457 Smith Lane sits pretty much in the centre of what was the 200-acre Lot 21, Third Concession South of Dundas Street (SDS). The third concession ran…
1105 Sixth Line
The history of 1105 Sixth Line traces back to 1838 when the Crown granted 100 acres to Owen. In 1867, Jeremiah Hagaman took ownership, a pivotal…
The parcel of land on which this house stands is on the Lot 15 in the 2nd Concession South of Dundas Street, Trafalgar Township. In 1838 the 100-acre…
70 Second Street
James Grout was the manager of the Toronto Bank on Lakeshore Road
Second Street was built as an access road through the Thompson Smith Survey of the 1850s.James Bell Lundy Grout was born 11 March 1876 in Carleton…
25 Second Street
The house at 25 Second Street was constructed in 1907 for the Page family.
Charles Page was born on 13 Nov 1849 in England. He emigrated to Canada in 1857, and married Sarah Williamson from Smiths Falls, Ontario, circa 1874,…
105 Robinson Street
The Granary was built about 1855 on the site of an earlier warehouse. It is the only Ontario stone warehouse still standing in its original location.
The Granary was built in 1855 as a simple grain warehouse with two types of stones. The white limestone came as ballast from Kingston, Ontario and the…
452 Reynolds Street
This house was built by Walter Inglehart in 1913 He leased the property to various tenants and families before selling the property to Jack Lush in…
This semi detached house is part of the Inglehart Survey which was planned in 1909 by Walter Inglehart. It is located between Trafalgar Rd. &…
384 Reynolds Street
Sidney Copeland was a "Fagan Child," coming to Canada as a young boy together with his brother. He was a soldier in the First World War.
Sidney Copeland was born in Streatham, England, south of London on Oct 1, 1893 to Charles Copeland & Mary Drew. He had an older brother named…
334 Reynolds Street
James McDonald owned a planing mill and built Knox Presbyterian Church
James McDonald Jr. was born December 1, 1841 in Oakville to parents James McDonald & Catherine Randall. He, his parents and seven siblings grew up…
322 Reynolds Street
Frances Savage was a nurse.
This house stands on part of Park Lot L, Plan 1. In 1837 William Chisholm sold Park Lot L to Robert Willson. In 1892, Willson's estate sold it to John…
213 Reynolds Street
A number of Freestone brothers lived in this immediate area
George, James, Robert and John Freestone were four of the seven children of Mary and John Freestone, a plasterer from Northamptonshire, and they all…
207 Reynolds Street
A number of Freestone brothers lived in this immediate area
James, George, Robert and John Freestone were four of the seven children of Mary and John Freestone, a plasterer from Northamptonshire, and they all…
75 Reynolds Street
James O'Connor, or James Connor, was a carpenter and a joiner from Ireland.
James Connor (also known as James O'Connor) was born in Wexford in the south of Ireland in 1814 and arrived in Oakville before the middle of the…
47 Reynolds Street
The church was built in 1840 for Catholic dock labourers in Oakville, on land supplied by William Chisholm. It is the oldest church in Oakville still…
St. Andrew's Parish has a rich parish history. In fact it is a major part of the history of Oakville. Following early work by Father Gordon at…
27 Reynolds Street
Acquired by Dorothy Farwell Drury, wife of Lt. Col. Morris Hayne Austin Drury, on October 1, 1943. Morris served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force…
This property has had several owners in the past, such as George K. Chisholm, Inglehart Bones who lived in the house at the present day 31 Reynolds…
22 Reynolds Street
The house was built in 1905. Harriet died at 27 and after her death, Henry married Laura O'Neill
This piece of property is connected with 312 King St. (Block 30, Lot C), and was purchased by Father Jeremiah Ryan on 1 October 1874. The King St.…
21 Regency Court
"King's Castle" is an Oakville landmark
This property was originally part of the 200 acre Lot 16, Concession 2, South of Dundas Street which ran up the west side of Sixth Line from the Lower…
3041 Postville Street
The original brick house was built around 1866. It was moved about 95 meters from its original location in 2016.
James Appelbe was descended from a family of French Huguenots who left for Ireland during the religious persecutions of the seventeenth Century. He…
403 Pine Avenue
Charles Beauchamp purchased the lot for this house on November 26, 1912 for $150. The property, with an unfinished house on it, was sold on April 1,…
This house, located at 403 Pine Ave., is at the very north end of what was first known as the subdivision of "Tuxedo Park". It is part of a large lot…
301 Palmer Avenue
Dr. Lusk originally lived in the house on the corner of Trafalgar and Palmer
This house was built in 1910 by Dr Charles Lusk who lived next door on Trafalgar Road. In 1920 he sold 205 Trafalgar to the Wilkinson family and moved…
2441 Neyagawa
The house is considered to be a fine example of a Loyalist farmstead. It now stands as a preserved landmark.
Dundas Street, originally known as 'The Governor's Road', was the inland route proposed by Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe in 1793, for…
85 Navy Street
This house was built about 1849 by George King Chisholm where he lived with his wife Isabella Land Chisholm and their family.
George King Chisholm was born in 1815 at Nelson Township. In 1840, he married Isabella Land, granddaughter of Robert Land, the founder of Hamilton.…
75 Navy Street
The Murray House Hotel, known at different times as the Canadian Hotel, has passed through the ownership of John Williams, James Teetor, other…
The Murray House Hotel stands on the site of a home of Captain Nicholas Boylan, second master of the "Trafalgar", the first schooner built in 1857 by…
65 Navy Street
This house was built by William Sumner a year after his house next door on William Street.
65 Navy Street as well as the adjoining lot on William Street were bought from William Chisholm by William Johnson Sumner (1797-1841) in 1831 for 20…
54 Navy Street
This land was set aside for public use by William Chisholm in the original plan for the town.
The Lock-up and Town HallAn act to incorporate the Town of Oakville was assented to on May 27th, 1857. The first council members were:Mayor: G.K.…
45 Navy Street
William Wilson acquired this house in 1859 near those of his brothers. It later became a general store and a hardware store.
William Wilson was a younger brother of Robert Wilson who lived next door at 41. Both William and their brother George followed Robert into marine…
41 Navy Street
Captain Robert Wilson (1806-1888) was a mariner and sailor.
Upon the death of her husband, a linen manufacturer in Ireland, Mrs. Wilson brought her ten children to Upper Canada in 1817. In 1820, at the age of…
29 Navy Street
Also known as the "John Moore House," it was built in 1838. The house remained in the Moore family until 1870.
John Moore was born in County Armagh, Ireland, and was schooled to be a Presbyterian Minister. During his passage to Canada he developed an interest…
19 Navy Street
The Patterson House - was built in 1834 by David Patterson, a shipwright and carpenter.
n July 1834, William Chisholm sold the � acre lot D, Block 21, Plan 1 to David Patterson. In 1864 Esther Thomas, widow of Merrick Thomas after whom…
8 Navy Street
Erchless was built in 1858, by Robert Kerr Chisholm. Today, after six Chisholm generations, it has been converted into the Erchless House Museum and…
Erchless Estate is located on 8 Navy Street. Most of the main house was built in 1858 by Robert Kerr Chisholm (1819-1899), who named it "Erchless"…
8 Navy Street
The Custom House was built in 1856, and owned by Robert Kerr Chisholm.
The Custom House (8 Navy Street) was first built in 1856. Home of Robert Kerr Chisholm (1819-1899), the son of William Chisholm and brother of George…
115 Morrison Road
The house was built in 1916 for Isabella Graham, a widow. It was later owned by Frank Chisholm (1863-1925) .
Isabella Graham was a widow with the last name Singlehurst when she bought this property (1916), and the census shows her occupation as "Income" which…
457 Maple Grove Drive
James Wesley Hill was an escaped slave and a "Conductor" on the Underground Railway.
James Wesley Hill was an escaped slave who crossed the Potomac River into Pennsylvania and then across the border in a packing box. He sent his first…
10 Maple Grove Drive
James Ryrie merged his jewelry store, Ryrie Bros, with Henry Birks & Sons of Montreal in 1905 and James became the president of the merged company.
Edgemere EstateConcession IV Lot 6 was once Crown Land which was granted to Barnett Griggs in 1824 after his successful Land Petition. Griggs was a…
407 Maple Avenue
The house at 407 Maple Avenue was under construction in 1916 when its owner, William Galley, shipped off to serve in the First World War.
William Galley was born in 1884 in Norfolk, England and emigrated to Canada in 1907. In 1909 he married Gertrude Hood in Toronto. They purchased the…
371 Maple Avenue
In June of 1920 Byron Secord purchased the lot at 371 Maple Avenue. He began construction on his house sometime afterwards, likely with his son.
Byron Bowman Secord was born in 1858 in Trafalgar Township into a family of farmers. Byron's great grandfather Solomon Secord was a United Empire…
327 Maple Avenue
Robert Hall was a dairyman and a long-time volunteer in the Town.
Robert Adam Beattie Hall was born in 1893 in Scotland. He emigrated to Canada in 1913 and settled in Oakville. On 27 December 1919 he married Helen…
293 Macdonald Road
Donald Campbell was a collector of road tolls
Oakville was built on the vision of William Chisholm as a port with "a rich and densely settled back country for 40 miles, of which Oakville must…
283 Macdonald Road
The house was built in the late 1940s, and bought in 1950 by Gerald Williamson (1902-1977) and his wife, Helen Cross (1904-1988).
Gerald was born in 1902 in Hemmingford Que. In 1934 he married Helen Cross in Beeton, Ontario and in 1950 they acquired the property on Macdonald…
279 Macdonald Road
This home was acquired by John McDuffee, a retired farmer in 1912.
John McDuffee was born in Trafalgar Twp. in 1857. He was from a farming family and spent most of his life there farming the land. He married Mary…
280 Lawson Street
At one time, the most northerly house in town
When the original plan, still known as Plan 1, was created for Oakville, most of the building lots were in blocks. Several larger Park Lots were…
279 Lawson Street
This house was known as "Mariner's Home" and was first owned by Captain Robert Wilson. It was built in 1862.
Robert Wilson and his two brothers, William and George came early to Oakville. Their mother brought her ten children to Canada in 1817 from Ireland…
2489 Lakeshore Road West
At its founding, the church was known as "Bronte Methodist Episcopal Church"
Tracing the history of the property on which this church stands is challenging. It's now known as Lot 65, Plan M10. The 1877 Halton Atlas shows no lot…
1110 Lakeshore Road West
Lisonally Farm was the summer estate of Sir Frank Baille and his wife Lady Edith Baille.
Those who have travelled along Lakeshore Road west of Fourth Line over the years are likely familiar with a brown shingled cottage with a large green…
489 Lakeshore Road West
Most likely built circa 1863, this house was originally home to the Howell family until 1877. Changing ownership a few times thereafter, it was…
The land on which this house sits is located on the southwest 50 acre portion of Concession 3, Lot 19 south of Dundas St. It was initially Crown Land,…
335 Lakeshore Road West
William Morden was the founder of the Morden Fuel and Ice Co.
W. William Hardy Morden was born in 1862, the son of George Hardy Morden and Johanna Doherty. George was a Lake Captain who founded the Morden Line of…
307 Lakeshore Road West
The house was built in 1895, and owned by several members of the Morden family.
William Hardy Morden was the son of George Hardy Morden.The 200 acre Lot 18, Concession 3, South of Dundas Street, was acquired by Andrew Lebarre in…
37 Lakeshore Road West
The Turner Chapel served the Black community in Oakville
Turner Chapel was an African Methodist Episcopalian Church located at 37 Lakeshore Road West in Oakville, Ontario, Canada. It was established in…
1399 Lakeshore Road East
The barn on the property was built circa 1920 when the property was owned by the Cox family
The property located at 1399 Lakeshore Road East has had several owners and is well documented in the Town of Oakville Heritage Impact Assessment…
509 Lakeshore Road East
William Speers had a fine fruit farm on his property and was once president of the Trafalgar Agricultural Society.
The lot on which this house stands is on the west side of the town plot that was laid out byDeputy Surveyor H.J. Castle, dated 20 July 1833, and owned…
492 Lakeshore Road East
Luther Richardson Symmes purchased this property in 1909
The lot on which 492 Lakeshore Road East stands became plan 105 in 1905 and was known as the "Carson Survey". It was sold to Thomas Miller along with…
395 Lakeshore Road East
Percy Detmold purchased 395 Lakeshore Road East from Arthur Gibson in 1919
Percy George Detmold was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1869. He spent his formative years there before becoming a Private with the Queensland…
390 Lakeshore Road East
Captain William Wilson was a very successful mariner and major land owner.
William Wilson and his 9 siblings came to Canada from Ireland with their widowed mother in 1817. William was 8 years old at the time. They originally…
389 Lakeshore Road East
This home was built as a summer home for the Ecclestone family
The first owner of this home, Walter Valentine Ecclestone, was born on Valentine's day 1863 into a large family in Hamilton, Ontario. While he was…
145 Lakeshore Road East
The James Reid store is still a fixture on Lakeshore Road.
James Reid was born in Scotland in 1817 and came to Oakville in 1832 as a young man of 15. He got into business and lost money on the Oakville…
295 King Street
The house was built shortly before 1850, when Justus Wright Williams and his wife Nancy Aikman moved in.
Justus Williams and his wife, Nancy Aikman, came to Oakville in 1831. Her sister was the wife of Egerton Ryerson. They bought two lots on Colborne…
262 King Street
This property was purchased by Wilbur Marlatt in 1892 and the coach house was built the same year and is located across the street from the Marlatt…
This house was built four years after the Marlatt House, across the street, at number 17 Dunn Street. It was first owned by Wilbur Marlatt, then Cecil…
230 King Street
The house was constructed in 1869, and bought a few years later by Thomas Thomas Sr., a shipbuilder.
Thomas Thomas Sr. was born in the south of Wales c1795 and first appears in Oakville in the 1850's. He was a ship's carpenter, a busy trade in…
222 King Street
King Edward VII appointed Matthew Butler as companion of the Order of St. Michael & St. George.
This property once had an earlier house on its lot which was occupied by several people before being sold on 1 June 1910 to William Sinclair Davis, a…