Description of Historic Place

The building at 2 Chateau Drive, known as Sir Harry Oakes' Chateau, is situated off Highway 66 in the Town of Kirkland Lake. The two-and-a-half-storey log and shingle building was designed in a combination of Prairie and Shingle styles and was constructed in 1930.

The property was transferred from the Town of Kirkland Lake to the Ontario Heritage Foundation on January 6, 1981. The property is also designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act (By-Law No. 80-7).

Heritage Value

Sir Harry Oakes' Chateau, at 2 Chateau Drive, in the Town of Kirkland Lake is situated less than a kilometre from the centre of town near Highway 66. The building terminates a small residential street which serves four other residences and is not visible from the highway. The residential neighbourhood is surrounded by former mining buildings and wooded areas. The rustic nature of the chateau's setting on a sloping landscape is reflected in its design.

Sir Harry Oakes' Chateau is associated with Sir Harry Oakes and the development of Kirkland Lake. Sir Harry Oakes was born in Sangerville, Maine in 1874 and came to Canada after traveling the world looking for locations to mine gold. In 1912 he created the Tough-Oakes Mine, drawing attention to the Kirkland Lake area for the richness of its ore. Using the profits from this venture, Oakes later developed the Lake Shore Mine after he discovered gold in 1917. Oakes' mine was one of the main employers in Kirkland Lake, and through his philanthropy, the community built a school and skating rink. In 1919 Oakes built his first home of logs on a solid rock outcrop. After being partially destroyed by fire in 1929, it was rebuilt and enlarged to its present size. Following income tax system reforms in 1934, Sir Harry left Canada to live in the Bahamas, leaving the Chateau to be used for directors' meetings and as a temporary residence for visiting company executives. Sir Harry was knighted in 1939 by King George VI in recognition of his philanthropic work. He was murdered at his Bahamas estate in 1943, a crime that was never solved. In 1967 the Chateau was sold to the Cochrane Nursing Homes, and the remaining contents sold. After the Nursing Home changed its location, the Chateau began to arouse public interest. The exterior was restored while the interior was modified to allow for the building to accommodate the Kirkland Lake Museum of Northern History.

Sir Harry Oakes' Chateau is a mixture of Prairie and Shingle architectural styles. Built in 1930 incorporating vestiges of Sir Harry Oakes' original log dwelling, the Chateau is two-and-a-half storeys. The massive size of the structure is hidden by low pitched, copper-clad roofs. The site slopes up to the main entrance at the south end, where a deep verandah surrounds the front rooms. The columns and the facade under the verandah are made of logs. The large, wide roofs with overhangs, and horizontality of the design, are reminiscent of the Prairie style while the cedar shingle siding is inspired by Sir Harry's New England roots. The construction of the Chateau utilizes the original log cabin as an integral part of the frame. The basement originally contained a large six-car garage and service area. The main floor contained a reception room, kitchen, living and dining area, and billiard room. These rooms have retained their original plaster, brass ceiling fixtures, sconces, fireplaces, hardwood floors and cherry woodwork. The second floor contained the private rooms of the family including four bathrooms and a music room. One bedroom also has the added feature of plaster cartoons on the wall depicting nursery rhymes, fairy tales, and wildlife. The attic was one large playroom and had a small balcony with solid and open balustrades. Although a mezzanine was created between the second and attic storeys, an elevator added to the rear of the house, and some walls removed in the servants living quarters, the Chateau's interior retains much of its original character. With the restoration of the exterior to the original shingle siding, the chateau's original aesthetic has been restored.

Sources: OHT Property Files; Cowan, Bob Sir Harry Oakes: 1874-1943 An Accumulation of Notes. Cobalt: Highway Bookshop, 2000.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Sir Harry Oakes' Chateau include its:
- proximity to mine tailings and former mining sites in Kirkland Lake
- proximity to a small lake and wooded areas around Kirkland Lake
- incorporation of topography into the design
- association with Sir Harry Oakes
- association with the establishment of Kirkland Lake as a major mining area - association with Tough-Oakes and Lake Shore Mines
- mixture of Prairie and Shingle architectural styles
- log walls and log porch columns
- shingle siding
- wide overhangs of the large roof
- copper roofing
- small balcony with solid and open balustrades
- small-scale steel sash windows.
- original plaster walls
- plaster walls with cartoon, fairy tales and wildlife in relief
- original sconces and light fixtures
- original brass ceiling fixtures
- hardwood floors and cherry woodwork
- four original fireplaces