G.S. Wood House - Intention to Designate as Heritage Property

On March 7, 2022 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:

G.S. Wood House

2487 Old Bronte Road, Oakville

PT LT 30, CON 1 TRAF SDS, PT 1 20R6419 & PT 1 20R7258;

OAKVILLE

The G.S. Wood property at 2487 Old Bronte Road is located on the east side of Old Bronte Road, south of Dundas Street West and north of Pine Glen Road in the Town of Oakville. The property contains a two and a half storey brick home with a cubic shape, a hip roof with hipped dormer and a simple, front entrance porch accentuating an off-centered front entrance. The house was constructed in between 1926 and 1932.

The home has design and physical value as a representative example of a vernacular Edwardian dwelling. The modest Edwardian style is demonstrated in the simple but formal combination of its exterior building features including its brick construction, cubic shape, hipped roof with centre dormer, narrow segmentally arched windows topped with flat brick arches and the offset front entrance accentuated by a small rectangular front porch with brick piers and squared half columns. The home’s cubic shape and overall form also share characteristics of the American Foursquare type of home. The home is relatively unadorned by classical elements which is indicative of a shift in design trends towards the more modern, less historical compositions of the late Edwardian period in which the home was built.

The property has historical and associative value as the home of George Stanley and Fannie Ethel Wood who were the proprietors of the general store that was located at the northeast corner of Dundas Street West and Bronte Road (now Old Bronte Road) from approximately 1920 to 1945. The corner general store was one of two general stores in the village of Palermo, which is the oldest settlement in present day Oakville. The Woods ran the general store at the peak of Palermo’s development in the early 20th century. The store played an important commercial and public function serving the needs of the local population as it included the village’s post office with George Stanley Wood being the postmaster. Additionally, the store had a public telephone and a telephone switchboard that was operated by Fannie Ethel Wood.

The property at 2487 Old Bronte Road supports and maintains the character of the area as a historic settlement that developed and evolved in the 19th to mid-20th century through the home’s location both on its original parcel and in proximity to neighbouring historic properties of Palermo, and also through its early 20th century vernacular Edwardian architectural style. The property is also historically, visually and physically linked to its surroundings. While the area has been urbanized, there remains a cluster of historical dwellings in the immediate area along Old Bronte Road that are associated with the development of Palermo. Together these dwellings with their late 19th and early 20th century architectural styles, continue to characterize the area as a historic settlement and are a reminder of the historical role that Palermo Village played as a transportation hub and in the development of agriculture in Trafalgar Township. Furthermore, the dwelling has a historic link to the commercial history of Palermo as it was home to the Wood family that ran the general store that was formerly located close-by at the corner of Dundas Street West and Old Bronte Road.

Key attributes of the house at 2487 Old Bronte Road that exemplify its value as a representative example of a vernacular Edwardian dwelling associated with the development of Palermo, include the following: 

Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than April 18, 2022. 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 David Addington, Heritage Planner at 905-845-6601, ext.2919 (TTY 905-338-4200), or by email at david.addington@oakville.ca.

The last date to file a notice of objection is April 18, 2022.