Description of Historic Place

The Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District is bounded by Robinson Street in the south, Lake Ontario in the north, 16 Mile Creek in the east and Allan Street in the west, in the Town of Oakville. The Heritage Conservation District consists of 162 primarily single family one and two storey residences that were built in the 19th century.

The property was designated by the Town of Oakville in 1982 for its heritage value under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 1982-44).

Heritage Value

The Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District is associated with the settlement and development of the Town of Oakville. The Town of Oakville is the only privately developed port on Lake Ontario. William Chishlom, the founder of Oakville, purchased a 960 acre tract of land at the mouth of 16 Mile Creek, personally financed the development of the harbour and laid out a town survey. The first survey was completed in 1833 and included the area from 16 Mile Creek east to Allan Street. The town was laid out in a grid pattern with streets running parallel and perpendicular to Lake Ontario, a layout which survives today.

The Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District, settled and built in the early 19th century, remains relatively unaltered and provides an outstanding example of the architectural styles that significantly pertain to the Town's beginning. The district is a predominantly residential area with one and two storey houses. The houses represent a range of architectural styles dating from the 19th century including Neoclassical, Gothic, Georgian and Italianate. These styles have been embellished with door and window surrounds and cornice treatments. The degree of detail is a result of financial capabilities of the residents, demonstrating the distribution of wealth in the area. The extensive variety of both age and style of buildings also speaks to the distribution of wealth and is complimented by the close mingling of both the workers' cottages and the merchants' townhouses.

The Oakville Heritage Conservation District also includes institutional buildings including St. Jude's Anglican Church, St. Andrew Catholic Church and St. Mary's Separate School. Commercial uses include the Murray House Hotel and recreation areas extend through Lakeside Park and Dingle Park to the shoreline. The residential and other uses combine with the mature vegetation and pedestrian scale of the streets, to create an attractive but complex community.

Sources: Old Oakville Downtown Residential Area Heritage Conservation District Plan, 1982; Town of Oakville, By-law 1982-44.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District include the:
- proximity to Lake Ontario and 16 Mile Creek
- proximity to the downtown commercial core
- streets running parallel and perpendicular to Lake Ontario
- one and two storey residential buildings
- range of architectural styles including Neoclassical, Gothic, Georgian and Italianate
- variety of details on residences
- St. Jude's Anglican Church
- St. Andrew Catholic Church
- St. Mary's Separate School
- Murray House Hotel
- Lakeside Park and Dingle Park