Notice of intention to designate 506 Lakeshore Road East

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:

William H. Carson House
506 Lakeshore Road East
Part Lot 26, Plan 114, as in 463283; Town of Oakville

Description of Property

The property at 506 Lakeshore Road East is located on the south side of Lakeshore Road East between Park Avenue and Howard Avenue in Oakville. 

Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

Design and Physical Value

The William H. Carson House has design and physical value as a representative example of an Arts and Crafts era house with Craftsman, Tudor Revival, and Queen Anne influences. The goal of the residential Arts and Crafts movement was to portray the home as a place of serenity, with a focus on the home as part of the natural environment. The home was built in 1921, with Craftsman characteristics such as: symmetrical massing with front gabled roof and large front porch with hipped roof; horizontal wooden siding; wooden soffit and fascia; wooden details on the front porch; multi-paned window fenestration on all four elevations, with wooden trim and remaining storm windows; projecting window on the west elevation; and brick chimneys. Tudor Revival elements include the half-timbering and large wooden brackets along the roof trim. Queen Anne elements include the steeply pitched roof, ornate wood detailing, and multiple sets of narrow windows.

Historical and Associative Value

The William H. Carson House property has cultural heritage value for its direct associations with the theme of the development of the local residential area known as ‘Orchard Beach’ and then ‘Orchard Park’, an early 20th century subdivision of Oakville. Its presence contributes to the story of Oakville’s early 20th century residential development that was defined by large lots with well-designed homes built by well-to-do families. The property also has historical value for its associations with owner and builder William H. Carson, a local builder and contractor and who ran the Carson Brothers Planning Mill on Trafalgar Road. The Carson family was a notable local family, and William and his brother Charles built many structures around Oakville.

Contextual Value

The William H. Carson House has contextual value because it is physically, functionally, visually, and historically linked to its surroundings. It is a prominent house in the historical Orchard Park (originally Beach) subdivision and continues to function as a residential house. It is visually present along Lakeshore Road East, and it contributes to the understanding of the local community and its early houses along Lakeshore Road East, particularly those houses that were developed as part of the Orchard Beach subdivision. The subdivision was a significant development for Oakville and many buyers of the lots and houses during this time were upper middle-class businesspeople from larger cities, whose presence in turn affected Oakville. The house is one of the earlier structures built as part of the subdivision and its presence contributes to the historical character of the area, including other Arts and Crafts houses from the era.

Description of Heritage Attributes

Key attributes of the property at 506 Lakeshore Road East that exemplify its cultural heritage value as an Ontario Arts and Crafts house built with Craftsman, Tudor and Queen Anne style influences, as they relate to the original two-and-a-half storey house, include: 

• The symmetrical and large massing and form of the two-and-a-half storey frame building with steeply gabled roof;
• Wide front porch with low gabled roof, low porch wall and the presence of large square columns;
• Horizontal wooden siding;
• Stucco and half-timbered cladding in the front and rear gables and in the front porch gable;
• Wooden exposed eaves with wooden soffits, wooden fascia, wooden trim and large wooden brackets;
• Projecting front entrance with the presence of a panelled wooden front door;
• Fenestration of the windows on the west, north and east elevations;
• Projecting bay window on the west elevation;
• The presence of multi-paned wooden sash and casement windows with wooden trim; and
• Red brick chimneys.

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.