23: 5 Walker Street, Oakville Harbour and Shipyard Park

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1 1. Description of Property 23: 5 Walker Street, Oakville Harbour and Shipyard Park Municipal Address 5 Walker Street Name (if applicable) Oakville Harbour and Shipyard Park Legal Description Lyon's Log Cabin: PT OAKVILLE HARBOUR 1874, AS IN "; PT BLK 106, PL 1, AS IN ; PT LT 1, BLK 105, PL 1, (AKA BLK 103) AS IN ; PT LT 3, BLK 105, PL 1, (AKA BLK 103) AS IN ; PT ANDERSON ST, PL 1, AS CLOSED BY BY-LAW BL367, AS IN ; PT FORSYTHE S Location of Property Ownership Access Current Use Existing Designation General Description Priority Level Oakville Lighthouse: "PT OAKVILLE HARBOUR 1874, AS IN "; PT BLK 106, PL 1, AS IN ; PT LT 1, BLK 105, PL 1, (AKA BLK 103) AS IN ; PT LT 3, BLK 105, PL 1, (AKA BLK 103) AS IN ; PT ANDERSON ST, PL 1, AS CLOSED BY BY-LAW BL367, AS IN ; PT FORSYTHE S Oakville Harbour and Shipyard Park are located on the north side of Walker Street. They are bounded by the mouth of the Sixteen Mile Creek to the east, Tannery Park to the south and residential homes to the west. Public - Town of Oakville Access granted by the Town. Site inspection completed on August 13 th, (AB, CU, ES) Active recreational harbour and site of Lyon s Log Cabin and the historic Oakville Lighthouse. Lyon's Log Cabin: Designated Heritage Property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. By-law No The reasons for designation are attached as Schedule B to the by-law and are reproduced here as Section 12. Oakville Lighthouse: Designated Heritage Property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. By-law No The reasons for designation are attached as Schedule B to the by-law and are reproduced here as Section 12. Oakville Harbour is a recreational boating harbour. Shipyard Park is a public park alongside the harbour that provides access to boating activities and walking trails. The Lyon s Log Cabin and the Oakville Lighthouse are rebuilt, 19 th century structures that were moved to the park in the 1960s. The area was once a large Shipyard and Tannery and is currently under redevelopment as part of the Oakville Harbours West Shore Implementation project. Medium Priority 23-1

2 Figure 1: Oakville Lighthouse and Harbour (AB, 2015) Figure 2: Pathway leading to Lyon s Cabin in Shipyard Park. (AB, 2015) 23-2

3 . W d. Lak esh ore Rd. W. es ho re R Lyon's Cabin Fran La k cis St. Oakville Yacht Squadron Planted Slope Marina Building Sixteen Mile Creek Fors ythe St. Park Building er St. Walk Lyon's Cabin Fr a nc is Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 St. Oakville Yacht Squadron 5 Walker St. Planted Slope Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map Marina Building Sixteen Mile Creek Fo rsy th es LEGEND Assessment Boundary t. Building Park Building CHL Study Area Heritage District Heritage Trail t. Wa rs lke Parkland Park Trail Road Site Structures Vegetation Watercourse Drawing not to scale

4 2. Key Recommendations Priority =Medium Rationale for priority level: No known vulnerabilities; Re-development has already occurred. Recommendations for future action: Consider protection through means other than OHA designations, including Official Plan amendment, secondary plan, or zoning by-laws; and Prepare an interpretation plan to present the historical associations of the harbour, park, lighthouse and log cabin. 3. Documentation and Inventory of Built Form List of Built Features: Lyon's log Cabin: a single-room, pioneer log cabin with a square simple form, small multi-paned windows and a wooden shingle roof; Oakville Lighthouse: The lighthouse is tapered, hexagonal, wood-frame tower. It is sheathed in wood shingles, painted white, with a red, metal lantern. The single door and three narrow windows are all capped with classical pediments; Armour stone retaining wall; Benches and other seating; Concrete planter bowls; Safety railings and metal and concrete stairways; A large public washroom; Picnic benches; Storage sheds; Gazebo with information panels (in north portion of property); A large paved parking lot; Buildings associated with the Oakville Yacht Squadron; and Remnants of ship moving equipment. 4. Documentation and Inventory of Natural Form List of Natural Features: Walnut, Ash, new planting of Dogwood, Juniper, etc.; Natural sloping topography; Slope below historic industrial townhouses and lower portion of the harbour is overgrown with many invasive and native plants; and Designed plantings around Lyon s Log Cabin, including: Crabapple, Honey Locust, Silver Maple, various types of Euonymus, Daylily, Ivy, Cottonwood; annual and perennial plant beds; and armour stones placed along the drive. 23-4

5 5. Design (Typology) X all that apply X X Categories of Cultural Heritage Landscape Designed Landscape Organically Evolved Landscape Relict Landscape (Evolved Landscape) Continuing Landscape (Evolved Landscape) Associative Cultural Landscape Description clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by man. results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and has developed in its present form in response to its natural environment in which an evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past. retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life, and which the evolutionary process is still in progress. justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic, or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent. 6. Historical and Thematic Associations The property is located on the western side of Oakville Harbour. In 1827, William Chisholm ( ) purchased 960 acres of Crown land at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek to develop a shipping harbour and to take advantage of the hydraulic power. He dredged the mouth of the river and constructed two piers into the lake, creating a protected harbour deep enough to accommodate large shipping vessels. He built a shipyard at the north end of Navy Street 1. Chisholm s own shipyard launched its first schooner, Trafalgar, in 1828 and its first steamer, the Constitution, in (Figure 4). The ample pine and oak forests in the area resulted in a booming shipping industry which reached its height in the 1850s. Between 1834 and 1937 Oakville harbour was a Point of Entry into Canada and many new immigrants entered Canada here. 3 With the introduction of the railway in the late 1860 s, commercial shipping traffic slowed and the harbour fell into disrepair. In 1874, the Town of Oakville purchased the harbour for $250, and it became a centre for recreational boating, fishing and swimming. 4 The 1913 Fire Insurance Plan shows the tannery of Marlatt and Armstrong Co. Ltd on the west side of Oakville Harbour, directly north of Tannery Park (Figure 5). This large industrial complex included a Tannery, Tan Yard, Beam house, Dressing House, Drying House, Japan Shop, Warehouse, and Finishing and Drying Buildings 5. Owned by Oakville mayor C.G. Marlatt and Christie Armstrong, this was the first and oldest tannery in the area. 6 The Tannery operated until 1925 and the buildings were demolished in Lerech, n.d. 2 Ibid. 3 Ashe & Burnell, pg Ibid 5 Fire Insurance Map, Davis Town of Oakville, Plaque found on the property. 23-5

6 The tapered, wooden lighthouse was built in 1889 and erected at the mouth of Sixteen Mile Creek. Powered by a kerosene lamp and with a 270 degree lens, it warned sailors of the shallow, rocky waters at the creek s mouth. It was jointly funded by the municipality and the federal government, replacing an earlier wooden tower which toppled over into the harbour in 1886 (Figure 6). In 1960, it was replaced by an automated light on a concrete post. The 1889 wooden lighthouse was salvaged, restored and moved to its present location on the grounds of the Oakville Yacht Squadron. The landscape surrounding the harbour has significantly changed since its creation. In 2008 the Town of Oakville created a Master plan for the redevelopment and improvements to the west harbour. This work appears to be in the final phases of completion. Some of the work included: demolishing old washrooms and storage buildings in Tannery Park, improving public and walkways along shoreline, improve lighting, increase seating, great a low growing naturalistic soft landscape and demolish and reconstruct the landscape steps. Circulation patterns and pathways were significantly altered and the shoreline was redeveloped to add a large ramp and a large seating area and picnic area. Lyon s Log Cabin is a heavily restored log cabin that was moved to its current site in The original log cabin was built on 50 acres of land, east of Trafalgar Road, in about 1820 (Figure 7). It was occupied by Robert Harper and his family between 1845 and 1850 and by George Lyon ( ) and his wife Mary ( ) from 1868 onwards. In 1853, local schoolmaster Arthur Cole Verner had subdivided his land at the corner of Trafalgar Road and Upper Middle Road, in the hopes of creating a village, Vernerville. The log cabin passed through a number of hands over the years; in 1966 the land was purchased by a development company and cleared for construction. A group of citizens rescued the log cabin, thought to be the last remnant of Vernerville. The cabin was measured, dismantled and then reconstructed in the late 1970s in Shipyard Park. Most of the logs had to be replaced, and a brick and stone fireplace was added at one end. Essentially, the current cabin is a reproduction based on the form, scale and design of the original. The "supporting wall for the garden at the north side of the cabin were once part of an 1895 swing bridge which once crossed the Sixteen" 8. 8 The bridge was located on Colbourne St (now Lakeshore Rd) and passed over Sixteen Mile Creek. 23-6

7 Figure 4: 1837 Map of Oakville, showing Oakville Harbour (James Madill, Image provided by Town of Oakville Staff) Figure 5: 1910 Fire Insurance Plan showing the western shore of Oakville Harbour. (Goad, Fire Insurance Plan, 1910) 23-7

8 Figure 6: Oakville lighthouse, built 1889, shown here c (Image provided by Town of Oakville) Figure 7: Lyon s Log Cabin, date unknown (Image provided by Town of Oakville) 7. Contextual Associations The property is located on the west side of the Oakville Harbour, bounded by the mouth of the Sixteen Mile Creek to the east, Tannery Park (10-12 Walker St) to the south and residential homes to the west. Due to the natural opening of Sixteen 23-8

9 Mile Creek into Lake Ontario, Oakville harbour has undergone a variety of purposes, from commercial port to marine recreation. There was once an island in the Creek, which has long been filled in. The landscape has recently undergone a large redevelopment in order to provide more public areas and implement safety equipment. 8. Evaluation (O. Reg 9/06) O.Reg.9/06 Criteria 1. The property has design value or physical value because it, i. is a rare, unique, representative or early example of a style, type, expression, material, or construction method, ii. displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit, or iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement. 2. The property has historical value or associative value because it, i. has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community, ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture, or iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community. 3. The property has contextual value because it, i. is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area, ii. is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings, or iii. is a landmark. Criteria Met (Y/N) Y N N Y Y N Y Y Y Justification Lyon s Log Cabin may be a rare and early example of a log settler s cabin. Oakville Lighthouse may be a rare local example of a tapered wooden lighthouse. Not shown. Not shown. Oakville Harbour, Shipyard Park and the Oakville Lighthouse are associated with the early history of Oakville and the important role shipping played in the development of the Town. Oakville Harbour and Shipyard Park have the potential to yield information about the development of Oakville, with its association to Oakville Harbour and Shipyards. Not shown. Oakville Harbour is important in defining, maintaining and supporting the character of Oakville. Oakville Harbour and Shipyard Park are physically, visually and historically linked to Tannery Park. Oakville Harbour is a landmark In the community. 23-9

10 9. Photographic Documentation Figure 8: West side of Oakville Harbour looking north from Walker Street. (AB, 2015) Figure 9: West side of Oakville Harbour looking north. (AB, 2015) 23-10

11 Figure 10: New washroom facilities armour stone retaining walls and new pathways. (AB, 2015) Figure 11: Oakville Harbour, facing east. (AB, 2015) 23-11

12 Figure 12: Lower portion of west side of Oakville Harbour, facing south, with new furnishings. (AB, 2015) Figure 13: Lighthouse, surrounded by chain-link fence, on lower portion of Oakville Harbour. (AB, 2015) 23-12

13 Figure 14: Lyon s Log Cabin, facing south. (AB, 2015) 10. Analysis & Recommendations Potential Heritage Value: Oakville Harbour and Shipyard Park may have historical and associative value because of their connection with the early history of Oakville and its development as a shipping centre and later as a recreational and boating centre. They have the potential to yield archaeological information about the community. Oakville Harbour functions as a landmark. However, the harbour and park has very few tangible resources that could be conserved and protected as heritage resources. Most features of the landscape have been altered and replaced over time. The log cabin is essentially a reproduction of an early settler s cabin, but functions as an important interpretive device. Similarly, the lighthouse has been moved and rebuilt, but also helps to tell the story of the harbour. Actions: The lighthouse and log cabin are each protected by Part IV OHA designations. The remainder of the harbour and park might be better protected through means other than the OHA, such as Official Plan amendment, secondary plan, zoning by-law. The Town might consider preparing an interpretive plan with a view to imbuing the physical space with a sense of the intangible history associated with this place. A medium priority level is recommended for the following reasons: No known vulnerabilities; Re-development has already occurred. 11. Sources Ashe, David and Joyce Burnell Oakville Street Names and Landmarks, (London, ON: Burnell Creighton Publishing, 2007)

14 Davis, William. Oakville Then and Now, Virtual Exhibit created 2010 by Jacquelyn Bennett. Access online October, 2015 from Goad, Charles. Fire Insurance Plan for Oakville, Halton County, Digital Copy provided by Town of Oakville Staff. Lerech, Deborah, William Chisholm s Vision, n.d., Accessed online August, , Days of Sail and Steam, n.d. Accessed online August, , The Young Port Matures, n.d. Accessed online August, Resort Town on Lake Ontario, n.d. Accessed online August, , Oakville s Yachting Heritage, n.d. Accessed online August, Town of Oakville Heritage Register: Section F. Last updated: October 24th, Found online at Trafalgar Township Historical Society. Vernerville, Lyon Cabin and the Harper Family. Winter Newsletter Accessed online Oct 2015, from Town of Oakville, A by-law to designate Lyon's Log Cabin, Shipyard Park, as a property of historical and architectural value and interest. By-law No A by-law to designate 1 Forsythe Street (The Old Lighthouse, 1889) as a property of architectural and historical significance. Bylaw No Appendix A Lyon s Log Cabin SCHEDULE "A" To BY-LAW REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The Lyon's Log Cabin at Shipyard Park on Oakville Harbour was originally built in the 1820's and once stood on Trafalgar Road adjacent to the former village of Vernerville. The hut was moved to its present location and restored in the late 1970's. On the north facade of the cabin a plaque has been placed which outlines the cabin's history. The plaque reads as follows: "The History of George and Mary Lyon and their Log Cabin George Lyon (29th May, ) and Mary Lyon (18 th December ) were married in England in 1868 and came to Canada that year on a sailing ship. Soon after arriving, they purchased about 50 acres of land east of the 7th Line (Trafalgar Road). At the top of the hill north of the present White Oaks Boulevard, about opposite the tall pine bush still on the west side. Their property extended as far west as Morrison Creek and is now occupied by Trafalgar Heights Apartments

15 They lived in a log cabin which had already been built on the property about A lean to was added to hold a small buggy and wagon and a separate kitchen one step up from the cabin proper; the cabin portion (the same size as the present) was divided into two small bedrooms in one end and a "living area'' in the other end. There was a large cast-iron, self-feeding coal stove with mica windows in the centre for heat. The stove was always brilliantly shining, there was a platform just under the roof slopes and above the bedrooms reached by stairs that could also be used for sleeping. Light was provided by the stove and by oil lamps. A large clock in the living area told time. Mr. Lyon built a separate barn of timbers and boards and kept several cows, horses, pigs and chickens and farmed a portion of the land (hay, etc. for cattle feed and vegetables for eating). Suckers would be caught in Morrison Creek at the back of the property in early Spring. There were also wild rabbits, raccoons and partridge on the property. While living in the cabin, four sons and five daughters were born to the Lyons. Mr. Lyon worked for the Township of Trafalgar on road maintenance and did much of this work alone or with some help from sons and grandsons. He took direction from the Reeve. Eventually, one of Mr. Lyons' sons (Edward) purchased the property and house. He renovated it and lived in it for some years. Later, ownership of the property and buildings changed hands a number of times, eventually being owned by the Town of Oakville. In 1966, the Lyon and adjoining properties were purchased by a development company for apartments and commercial businesses. In 1968, when the land was being cleared and prepared for construction, one of the old buildings on the property was found to be the original Lyon's log cabin which had been covered with boarding some years before to improve its appearance. Since it obviously had some historic value, it was then measured and dismantled as much as possible and reconstructed some years later in Shipyard Park in the harbour at its present location. Most of the logs had to be replaced but the form, size and style are the same as the original, except that a brick and stone fireplace were added at one end. Actual reconstruction was carried out by students of the T. A. Blakelock High School, Lorne Scots Regiment Cadets, Dr. H. J. Newman and the Harbours Authority. To the north of the cabin, a row of masonry stones form a low retaining wall for the garden. These stones were part of the centre pier of the swing bridge over the Creek opened in The bridge carried Colbourne Street (now Lakeshore Road) over Sixteen Mile Creek. The above information was obtained in 1979 during an interview with Mr. and Mrs. George Lyon, grandson of the above referred to Mr. and Mrs. George Lyon. Oakville Harbours Development Authority, January The Lyon's log cabin is also significant because it is the last vestige of the Village of Vernerville, a small hamlet which once existed adjacent to the Lyon Farm on Trafalgar Road, south of Upper Middle Road. This small hamlet was founded by Sir Frederick Verner in the 1850 s. The hamlet was established on the strength of its position to the "new Plank Road". Unfortunately, the coming of the railway and the general poor quality of the road meant that Verner's dream of a permanent settlement would not be achieved and the few settlers who did come to Vernerville soon left. The Lyon's Log Cabin at Shipyard Park is an excellent example of a pioneer log cabin. With its square simple form, small multi-paned windows and wood shingle roof, the Lyon's log cabin is a representation of a primitive log structure which would have been slightly improved by the occupying family after two or three years of habitation. Much of the structure is not of the original materials, however, the form of the building is identical to the original and the new logs and other materials are exact replacements. The building has a single room composition, four windows, one of which is boarded up, two doors and a medium pitch roof. The chimney and fireplace were added during restoration. The stones which act as a 23-15

16 supporting wall for the garden at the north side of the cabin were once part of an 1895 swing bridge which once crossed the Sixteen. Oakville Lighthouse Schedule B to By-law The lighthouse was the second lighthouse to sit at Oakville Harbour. The first was built in The first lighthouse served well for nearly fifty years, but on April 8, 1886, a spectacular storm from the northeast caused waves that, Summer's diary reports as being 35 feet high, destroyed the old timbers of the east pier. "During school lunch hour", Summer writes, "many children came down to the lake bank in time to see the lighthouse tumble into the channel." When the wind abated, the pier had been destroyed completely. The pier was rebuilt in 1887, but nothing was done about a lighthouse until 1889 when the Hamilton Steamboat Company's passenger ships the Macassa and the Mojeska started calling regularly at Oakville. During the summer of 1889, a new lighthouse was built by Henry George, Contractor for Port Elgin, at a cost of $960. Construction began on April 2, and the new lighthouse was lit for the first time on June 4. The second lighthouse served well for over seventy years through the efforts of the lighthouse keepers, and bore the brunt of many a storm during that time. One of the worst storms experienced over that time was 1947 when the piers were washed away by the action of the lake leaving the lighthouse on an island in Lake Ontario. In 1960, the lighthouse which once warned sailors of the vicinity of Oakville and of the shallow rock studded waters at the mouth of the Sixteen Mile creek was faced with demolition as it was to be replaced with a strictly functional concrete post. Through the efforts of a group of concerned citizens of Oakville, however, the lighthouse was salvaged and moved to its present location on the grounds of the Oakville Yacht Squadron where it was restored. Today the lighthouse at Oakville Harbour serves as an important symbol for the Town of Oakville and for the Oakville Yacht Squadron and is a reminder of the days when Oakville was a thriving commercial port. ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE The Lighthouse at Oakville Harbour is of the conventional style of wooden lighthouses built on the Great Lakes during the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. The Lighthouse is Hexagonal in shape, in order to better face up to the storms and pounding waves of Lake Ontario. Other wooden lighthouses of this period are round (at Burlington), octagonal (at Port Dalhousie) and square (at Bronte). The Lighthouse is three stories high and is constructed of wood and is sheathed in wooden shingles. A galley extends around the top storey of the lighthouse, and is accessed through a small door. The lower level has a doorway capped with a classical pediment and a bronze plaque on the door which states "The Old Lighthouse, Built 1875 (incorrect) Removed from the East Pier and preserved in this location 1960, through the interest of the citizens of the Town of Oakville. ~ The Lighthouse has three windows in the lower portion of the structure; one on the first floor and two on the second floor. The windows are capped with classical pediments, similar to the pediment over the door. Although all three, two-sash double hung windows are today single paned, originally the second storey windows consisted of two over two panes. The lower storey window is shown in photographs from the turn of the century to have been enclosed by shutters. The third storey was the room in which the light was contained, and is glassed in on all six sides. In the centre of this room the light was stationed within its 270 beveled lens. The light source was originally an oil lamp which would have burned coal oil. The fumes from the burning oil would have escaped through the metal chimney in the roof. By the time the second lighthouse was built, many other lighthouses were being converted from whale to coal oil. Whale oil was the choice fuel for early 23-16

17 lighthouses including Oakville's first lighthouse as it burned cleaner and was more efficient than coal oil. The increasing cost and uncertain supply of whale oil, however, forced the conversion to coal oil. With improvements in technology, the Oakville lighthouse was eventually converted to electric light. The lens for the lighthouse is today in the possession of the Town of Oakville and is in excellent condition. This ornate piece of glasswork is believed to have been made in France. The lighthouse at Oakville harbour is one of only three 19th Century wooden lighthouses remaining on Lake Ontario. Others were either replaced by a more permanent limestone structure such as the lighthouse at Burlington Bay or were demolished after the Second World War and replaced by simple concrete beacons as was the case with the Bronte Harbour Lighthouse which was demolished in