Notice of intention to designate - 2527 Dundas Street West
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
On June 12, 2023 Oakville Town Council resolved to pass a Notice of Intention to Designate the following property under Section 29 of the Ontario Heritage Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.18, as amended, as a property of cultural heritage value and interest:
Lawrence and Mary Hager House
2527 Dundas Street West
PT LT 30, CON 1 Trafalgar, north of Dunas Street, as in 832677; Oakville/Trafalgar
The property at 2527 Dundas Street West is located on the northeast corner of Dundas Street West and Old Bronte Road in Palermo Village. The property contains a historic two-storey red brick house with a non-historic one-storey garage addition and a non-historic detached two-storey barn/workshop.
The Lawrence and Mary Hager House is a representative example of a late 19th-century vernacular Italianate style brick house. The two-storey house includes many of the characteristics of this style with its low-sloped roof, symmetrical façade, and projecting centred frontispiece. Period details include a decorative cornice with brackets and cornice returns, segmentally arched window and doorway openings, and decorative dog-tooth brickwork. The house is clad in stretcher bond red brick and built on a lakestone foundation. Unique to this house are its two front entrances which, while not typical of the Italianate style, were placed in a way that maintained the symmetrical and formal façade of the style.
The property has direct associations with the historic village of Palermo, the oldest settlement in present day Oakville. Palermo was a significant stop along Dundas Street, the main route between Toronto and Hamilton. The larger rural community depended on the village for its stagecoach stop, post office, inn, stores, schools, and its churches. The subject property also has strong associations with the Hager family, a prominent family in Palermo and Trafalgar Township. The house was built by Lawrence III, grandson of Lawrence Hager I, the founder of Palermo. Lawrence had the house constructed and he and his wife Mary raised their family in the house and remained there for over 50 years. The family ran the general store on the corner of the property and also worked as farmers, contributing to the busy commerce of Palermo village in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The Lawrence and Mary Hager House remains physically, functionally, visually, and historically linked to the streetscape of Palermo. The two-storey house allows for the continuation of the low-scale street wall created by smaller-scale homes and structures, a distinctive feature of historic Ontario villages. The building is located at the main intersection of the village and for many years had strong connections to the commercial businesses of the village. As one of the remaining historic homes in the village, the Lawrence and Mary Hager House is important in defining and supporting the character of the area which, while in transition to accommodate more growth and density, retains much of its historic village character.
Key attributes of the Lawrence and Mary Hager House that exemplify its value as a representative example of a vernacular variation of an Italianate Style brick house associated with the early development of Palermo include the following, as they relate to the two-storey southerly portion of the building:
Key attributes of the Lawrence and Mary Hager House that exemplify its value as a representative example of a vernacular variation of an Italianate Style brick house associated with the early development of Palermo include the following, as they relate to the 1.5 storey northerly portion of the building:
The one-storey, two-bay garage addition to the rear of the house and the two-storey detached barn/workshop are not included in the designation.
Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than July 14, 2023. Objections should be directed to the Town Clerk, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario L6H 0H3.
Further information respecting this proposed designation is available from the Town of Oakville. Any inquiries may be directed to Carolyn Van Sligtenhorst, heritage planner at 905-845-6601, extension 3875 (TTY 905-338-4200), or by email at carolyn.van@oakville.ca.
Lawrence and Mary Hager House
2527 Dundas Street West
PT LT 30, CON 1 Trafalgar, north of Dunas Street, as in 832677; Oakville/Trafalgar
Description of property
The property at 2527 Dundas Street West is located on the northeast corner of Dundas Street West and Old Bronte Road in Palermo Village. The property contains a historic two-storey red brick house with a non-historic one-storey garage addition and a non-historic detached two-storey barn/workshop.
Statement of cultural heritage value or interest
Design and physical value
The Lawrence and Mary Hager House is a representative example of a late 19th-century vernacular Italianate style brick house. The two-storey house includes many of the characteristics of this style with its low-sloped roof, symmetrical façade, and projecting centred frontispiece. Period details include a decorative cornice with brackets and cornice returns, segmentally arched window and doorway openings, and decorative dog-tooth brickwork. The house is clad in stretcher bond red brick and built on a lakestone foundation. Unique to this house are its two front entrances which, while not typical of the Italianate style, were placed in a way that maintained the symmetrical and formal façade of the style.
Historical and associative value
The property has direct associations with the historic village of Palermo, the oldest settlement in present day Oakville. Palermo was a significant stop along Dundas Street, the main route between Toronto and Hamilton. The larger rural community depended on the village for its stagecoach stop, post office, inn, stores, schools, and its churches. The subject property also has strong associations with the Hager family, a prominent family in Palermo and Trafalgar Township. The house was built by Lawrence III, grandson of Lawrence Hager I, the founder of Palermo. Lawrence had the house constructed and he and his wife Mary raised their family in the house and remained there for over 50 years. The family ran the general store on the corner of the property and also worked as farmers, contributing to the busy commerce of Palermo village in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Contextual value
The Lawrence and Mary Hager House remains physically, functionally, visually, and historically linked to the streetscape of Palermo. The two-storey house allows for the continuation of the low-scale street wall created by smaller-scale homes and structures, a distinctive feature of historic Ontario villages. The building is located at the main intersection of the village and for many years had strong connections to the commercial businesses of the village. As one of the remaining historic homes in the village, the Lawrence and Mary Hager House is important in defining and supporting the character of the area which, while in transition to accommodate more growth and density, retains much of its historic village character.
Description of heritage attributes
Key attributes of the Lawrence and Mary Hager House that exemplify its value as a representative example of a vernacular variation of an Italianate Style brick house associated with the early development of Palermo include the following, as they relate to the two-storey southerly portion of the building:
- The footprint and rectangular form of the structure with projecting frontispiece;
- The hip roof with intersecting front gable;
- The red brick cladding in stretcher bond, including brick headers above door and window openings, decorative dog-tooth brick patterns below window openings, projecting brick band above the foundation, and the truncated brick chimney on the east elevation;
- The red brick chimney above the roof on the west side of the structure;
- The fenestration of the windows and doors on all four elevations, including the segmentally arched shape of the openings;
- The stone windowsills;
- The exposed lakestone foundation above grade;
- The two stained-glass transom windows above the two front doors;
- The presence of sidelights or wood panelling on either side of both front doors;
- The wood cornice, including soffits, fascia, cornice returns, and decorative brackets;
- The presence of a front porch at each front door; and
- The existing orientation facing Dundas Street.
Key attributes of the Lawrence and Mary Hager House that exemplify its value as a representative example of a vernacular variation of an Italianate Style brick house associated with the early development of Palermo include the following, as they relate to the 1.5 storey northerly portion of the building:
- The footprint and rectangular form of the structure;
- The gable roof with gable dormer on the west elevation;
- The porch on the west elevation, including wood columns;
- The red brick cladding in stretcher bond, including brick headers above door and window openings;
- The fenestration on all four elevations, including the segmentally arched shape of the window and door openings;
- The wood Italianate style entry door on the south elevation;
- The stone windowsills;
- The exposed lakestone foundation above grade;
- The wood vergeboard in the south gable dormer; and
- The existing orientation and connection to the two-storey southerly portion of the building.
The one-storey, two-bay garage addition to the rear of the house and the two-storey detached barn/workshop are not included in the designation.
Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than July 14, 2023. Objections should be directed to the Town Clerk, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario L6H 0H3.
Further information respecting this proposed designation is available from the Town of Oakville. Any inquiries may be directed to Carolyn Van Sligtenhorst, heritage planner at 905-845-6601, extension 3875 (TTY 905-338-4200), or by email at carolyn.van@oakville.ca.