Notice of intention to designate - 3048 Trafalgar Road

Thursday, July 13, 2023
On July 10, 2023 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:

Dr. John A. Johnstone House
3048 Trafalgar Road
PT LT 13, CON 1 Trafalgar, North of Dundas Street, as in 604333


Description of Property


The subject property is located at 3048 Trafalgar Road on the west side of Trafalgar Road, north of Dundas Street East. The property contains a circa 1890s frame house built in the Queen Anne style, known as the Dr. John A. Johnstone House.


Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest

 

Design and Physical Value


The Dr. John A. Johnstone House building has design and physical value as a representative example of a late 19th century Queen Anne style residential structure. Constructed sometime in the 1890s, the house has an asymmetrical and eclectic design, typical of the style. Built on a lakestone foundation, the house is clad in horizontal wood siding and contains a number of design elements reflective of the Queen Anne style, including: the first storey bump-out with a rounded window; segmentally-arched windows throughout; the projecting second storey underlined by a bracketed frieze; decorative half-cove (or a close approximation of) shingles in the third storey gable; exposed eaves; and matching sets of decorative corbels on the second storey corners.
 

Historical and Associative Value


The Dr. John A. Johnstone House building has historical value because of its direct associations with Dr. John A. Johnstone, a well-known veterinary surgeon who practiced in Halton County for over 50 years. Dr. Johnstone was also the veterinary inspector for Halton County for 30 years and was the first Deputy Reeve of Trafalgar Township. John and his wife Catherine raised six children in the subject house. The property also has historical associations with the former village of Trafalgar, also known as Post’s Corners and Postville. The Dr. John A. Johnstone House was located right in the heart of the village and would have been a well-known and often-visited landmark in the area. 
 

Contextual Value


The Dr. John A. Johnstone House building has contextual value because it is physically, visually and historically linked to its surroundings. The building is one of the only remaining structures from the former village of Post’s Corners/Postville/Trafalgar. The house has cultural heritage value as a reminder of village life and of the agricultural and settler history of Trafalgar Township.


Description of Heritage Attributes


Key attributes of the Dr. John A. Johnstone House that exemplify its value as a representative example of a Queen Anne style house include the following:
  • The footprint and form of the two and two-and-a-half storey building, including its gable roof with jerkinhead gable, hip roof, and projecting second storey and first storey bay window on the front elevation;
  • Horizontal wood cladding with wood corner board trim;
  • Decorative half-cove style cedar shingle cladding in front gable;
  • Exposed eaves in front gable;
  • Wood soffit and fascia throughout the house;
  • Wood corbels on second storey;
  • Bracketed friezes on the south and east elevations;
  • Historic fenestration of the windows and doors on the north, east, south and west elevations;
  • Segmentally-shaped window openings and wood window opening trim;
  • Historic wood front door on east elevation;
  • Lakestone foundation above grade; and
  • The orientation of the building towards Trafalgar Road.
Any objection to this designation must be filed no later than August 14, 2023.  Objections should be directed to the Town Clerk, 1225 Trafalgar Road, Oakville, Ontario L6H 0H3.

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

The last date to file a notice of objection is August 14, 2023.