Notice of intention to designate 1242 Bronte Road

On August 12, 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:

The Woodlands
1242 Bronte Road 
Part lot 31, CON 2 Trafalgar South Dundas Street, Part 1 20R15001; Town of Oakville

Description of Property

The property at 1242 Bronte Road is located on the west side of Bronte Road, between Upper Middle Road West and the Queen Elizabeth Highway. 

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

Design and Physical Value

The Woodlands has design and physical value as a representative and evolved example of a circa 1860s-1870s Gothic Revival style farmhouse with unique elements adapted to the style around 1905 after a fire. The house includes many historic elements, including its: large, tall two-and-a-half storey massing and form with prominent gables; wooden soffit and boxed frieze with decorative bargeboards and brackets; stone construction with stucco cladding; front entrance, including recessed columns beside the front door and large transom window; wraparound porch with wooden columns, ceiling, brackets, beams and second-storey porch and railings; and fenestration on the south, north, and east elevations, including the drip edges and wooden sills and frames. The property also contains a remnant stone chimney and fireplace from a former building, as well as an almost century-old Norway Spruce tree planted by the Atkins.

Historical and Associative Value

The Woodlands has cultural heritage value for its direct associations with two important families of the area, specifically the White, Campbell and Atkins families. The house has historical significance to the Bronte area and Trafalgar Township at large. James White was a notable figure in local history as an MPP for Halton, lumber merchant, sawmill owner, gentleman farmer, livestock breeder, and the winner of the first Queen’s Plate. Paul Campbell, the son-in-law of James White, was well-known in Toronto and in Canada as a dry goods businessman, and his work at The Woodlands made the orchard famous on a national level. The property is also associated with George Stuart Atkins, a respected farmer, broadcaster, and the creator of Farm Radio International who was recognized both locally and nationally. He also farmed the original property, helped to create the Bronte Creek Provincial Park and worked to protect The Woodlands, notably the Bronte White Oak Tree that remains today.

The Woodlands has the potential to yield information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture; the area has many Indigenous archaeological sites given its proximity to Bronte Creek, and no extensive investigative work has been done on the subject property. Future archaeological investigations could provide significant material and evidence for both Indigenous and settler history.

Contextual Value

The Woodlands has contextual value because it is physically, functionally, visually, and historically linked to its surroundings. The house and property are linked to over 150 years of farming history on the historic lot. The house is located in a significant natural setting, defined by Bronte Creek to the west, the adjacent woodlot, the Bronte White Oak Tree across the road and the larger protected natural area to the west of Bronte Road. The Bronte White Oak Tree, a designated heritage tree, was historically on the White family property and was preserved by the White and Atkins families. The presence of the house and its related history helps give context to the natural area and this significant tree. 

Description of Heritage Attributes

Key heritage attributes of The Woodlands at 1242 Bronte Road that exemplify its cultural heritage value as an evolved example of a Gothic Revival farmhouse, as they relate to the historic two-and-a-half storey house, include:

• Large and tall massing and form of the two-and-a-half-storey building with hipped roof and three gables;
• Stone construction with stucco cladding;
• Wooden soffit and boxed wooden frieze with decorative wooden bargeboard and wooden brackets; 
• Wraparound front porch with round wooden columns, wooden frieze with brackets and the presence of low-profile second storey wooden railings; 
• Front entrance, including recessed round wooden columns beside the front door and large transom window; 
• Fenestration of the circa 1905 windows on the south, north, and east elevations;
• 1/1 historic wooden sash windows with louvered wooden shutters, trim and drip moulds; and
• Its presence on raised ground.

Key heritage attributes of The Woodlands at 1242 Bronte Road that exemplify its cultural heritage value as part of a historic farmstead, as they relate to the grounds, include:

• Stone chimney and fireplace remnants from the farmhand house built by George Chew Atkins in the 1920s; and
• Large spruce tree planted by the Atkins family in the 1930s and associated historical plaque.

Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than September 13, 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 August 14, 2024.