Notice of intention to designate - 2 Holyrood Avenue

On January 22, 2024, 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:

Holyrood House
2 Holyrood Avenue
Lot 14, Plan 20M-648; Town of Oakville

Description of Property

The property at 2 Holyrood Avenue is located on the east side of Holyrood Avenue, south  of Lakeshore Road West. The property contains a circa 1853-1869 Georgian style two-storey house known as the Holyrood House.

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

Design and Physical Value

The Holyrood House has design value as an evolved, representative example of a mid-18th century Georgian style home. While the building has evolved over time, it still retains its historic Georgian form, massing and fenestration. Its square structure and low hipped roof are complimented by its symmetrical fenestration with a central front entrance and matching window openings on either side. The exterior has been plastered but the historic brick remains underneath. Original bronze shutter stoppers remain on the house.

Historical and Associative Value

The Holyrood House has cultural heritage value for its direct associations with St. Jude’s Church, as it was originally built by the Church as a rectory for the working minister. St. Jude’s Church, one of Oakville’s oldest congregations, is still active in Oakville today. The subject house is also important in Oakville’s history as the land transitioned into a lakeshore estate, a significant theme of development in Oakville in the late 1800s into the mid-1900s. Estates along the lakeshore, including the Holyrood House, shaped many physical aspects of Oakville today; the town’s unindustrialized lakeshore can be linked to the existence of these significant and wealthy estates extending to the waterfront. The property also has cultural heritage value for its direct associations with its notable Oakville residents, such as Dr. William T. Stuart and Gordon Lefebvre, who not only contributed to the property and surrounding area, but to the development of the town as well.

Contextual Value

The Holyrood House is important in defining the character of the local area. The boundaries and design of the surrounding subdivisions and Holyrood Park were influenced by the former estate, and the area still retains the historic stone pillars, large mature trees and other landscaping elements of the estate, in addition to Holyrood House. 

The Holyrood House also has cultural heritage value because it is historically linked to its surroundings, land that once formed part of the St. Jude’s Church rectory and cemetery lands and later the Holyrood Estate. As the oldest house in the neighbourhood, it clearly links the neighbourhood to its historical past and former land use. As the original rectory for St. Jude’s Church, it is historically linked to the larger area that was once owned by the church, and on whose land the historic St. Jude’s Cemetery still stands. Contextually, 

the house has been moved approximately 200 feet east of its original location, but it stills stands on the historic grounds and has a connection to the area.

Description of Heritage Attributes

Key heritage attributes of the property at 2 Holyrood Avenue that exemplify its cultural heritage value as an evolved, representative example of a mid-18th century Georgian home, as they relate to the historic two-storey house, include:

• The square massing and form of the two-storey building with hipped roof;
• The brick construction of the house;
• Fenestration of the windows and front door on the front (west) elevation; 
• The presence of a wood panelled front entry door with panelled and glazed sidelights and multi-paned transom window above; 
• The presence of 6/6 windows in the original Georgian style;
• Historic bronze shutter stoppers.

Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than February 26, 2024. 

Objections must be directed to the Town Clerk at townclerk@oakville.ca or 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario L6H 0H3. The objection must include the reasons for the objection and all relevant facts.

Further information respecting this proposed designation is available from the Town of Oakville. Any inquiries may be directed to Carolyn Van Sligtenhorst, Supervisor of Heritage Conservation at 905-845-6601, ext.3875 (TTY 905-338-4200), or by email at carolyn.van@oakville.ca. 

Issued at the Town of Oakville on January 25, 2024.