Description of Historic Place

Sovereign House is located at 7 West River at the termination of West River Street on the east side in Trafalgar Township in the Town of Oakville. The two storey brick residence was constructed circa 1825

The property was designated by the Town of Oakville in 1990 for its heritage value under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-law 1990-50).

Heritage Value

Sovereign House is associated with the Charles Sovereign family. The Sovereigns were one of the first families to settle in the Bronte Area. Charles Sovereign opened a school on his father's property in 1815 when he was only 17 years old, and in 1842 became the first local school inspector.

Sovereign House is a two storey brick residence built circa 1825 and is one of the oldest existing dwellings in Trafalgar Township. The residence features a gable roof, brick chimney and double hung windows with shutters. The residence is now used as a Heritage Display Centre.

Source: Town of Oakville By-law 1990-50.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of Sovereign House include its:
- two storey brick exterior
- gable roof
- brick chimney
- double hung windows with shutters
- “L” shaped floor plan