Notice of intention to designate 2374 Sovereign Street

On September 24, 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:

James and Katherine Taylor House
2374 Sovereign Street
PCL 163-1, SEC M7; LT 163, PL M7; OAKVILLE 

Description of property

The property at 2374 Sovereign Street is located on the on the south side of Sovereign Street, east of Jones Street and west of Nelson Street in Bronte. The property contains a one-and-a-half storey frame house known as the James and Katherine Taylor House.

Statement of cultural heritage value or interest

Design and physical value

The James and Katherine Taylor House has design and physical value as a representative example of a modest vernacular workers’ cottage. A vernacular home is one that is built with local resources and in local styles, often influenced by popular styles, but made to suit either the different weather conditions, purposes for the structure, or the available resources. The subject house would have been built for Bronte’s working class and is a humble and functional home. The one-and-a-half-storey house has an intersecting gable roof. The historic portion of the house appears to be the T-shaped section closest to the street, with steep gable roofs and shed dormers. While some windows and the cladding has been modernized over time, the house retains its historic form and overall fenestration.

Historical and associative value

The James and Katherine Taylor House has cultural heritage value because of its direct associations with the theme of late 19th and early 20th century residential development for working-class residents in the Bronte village downtown area. Together with a few nearby houses on Sovereign Street, the subject house is one of the few remaining early 20th century homes in the area and is a physical reminder of this working-class history. The property is also historically associated with its former owners including the Belyea, Osborne, and Dobson families, and the long-term owners the Chalmers family, who contributed to the local Bronte community in a variety of ways.

Contextual value

The James and Katherine Taylor House has cultural heritage value because it is physically, functionally, visually and historically linked to its surroundings, an early 20th century working class neighbourhood characterized by modest vernacular homes. Historically, the streetscape of Sovereign Street was defined by smaller homes on large lots, with small front yard setbacks. Several of these historic modest homes remain, including 2374 Sovereign Street. Together, these remaining buildings are important remnants of Bronte’s late 19th and early 20th century residential development, which was defined by modest vernacular homes built for Bronte’s working class.

Description of heritage attributes

Key attributes of the James and Katherine Taylor House that exemplify its value as an early 20th century vernacular frame cottage, as they relate to the west, north and east elevations of the front rectangular portion of the one-and-a-half storey house, include:

• The rectangular form and low massing of the structure with its steep gable roof;
• The fenestration of the front elevation with a single front entrance accompanied by a single window on the first storey and a set of windows on the second storey; and
• The presence of wood board and batten siding.

Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than October 28, 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 September 27, 2024.