Oakville Historical Society
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Phone: 905 844-2695

Our Office and Grounds

 The Cottages at Erchless

​Construction! Work started on the neighbouring Carriage House. About 5 parking spaces are fened of on the south side of King Street for a site office and storage of material. Our east gate is permanently moved further west. The sewer line and paths will be redone along with some other landscaping. 

Our office, archival reference centre and exhibit space are at the north end of the Erchless Estate. This is also the home of the Oakville Museum at Erchless.

Visit us through the Coach Gates on the southwest corner of Navy and King Streets and follow the paths. You can also enter from the west side of the Coach House. Then follow the path around to our front door.
Our offices are still closed due to COVID-19. Once we reopen, safety measures will be in place.
​
We expect to be open Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:30 and the third Sunday afternoon of each month.

The Cottages are at 108 and 110 King Street.

Download historic information about the Cottages.

These Cottages on the north side of the Erchless grounds were designed by sisters Hazel Mathews and Dr. Juliet Chisholm, great-granddaughters of Oakville's founder William Chisholm. Juliet Chisholm was an artist and pediatrician, Hazel an author and historian. In 1953 the two women moved into the newly-built cottages, leaving the Customs House occupied by Hazel's son Monty Hart and his family. Juliet lived at 108, Hazel in 110.

Number 108 was conceived by Juliet as a Normandy cottage with stone floors, inspired by the years she had spent in France. The pinkish tint of the floor tiles is a characteristic of the Credit Valley stone used in their construction. Hazel's residence at Number 110 was in a more contemporary style. The differences in design went as far as the heating systems; 108 (Juliet's) was heated using forced air, whereas 110 (Hazel's) had radiators installed for a hot water heating system. There was a great deal of second-hand material used in the construction of these two homes, possibly due to the shortages brought about by World War ll.

By the mid-70s, both the Erchless Family Home and the Cottages were occupied by tenants. The Town of Oakville purchased Erchless Estate in 1977 and continued renting the properties for some time. The Customs House was restored and opened to the public in 1983, while the Erchless Family Home did not open to the public until 1991.

In 1992 the Oakville Historical Society reached an agreement with the Town of Oakville whereby the Society was granted possession of the Cottage at 110 King Street. Juliet’s Cottage at 108 King continued to be occupied by its tenant, Commodore Robertson. Eventually the Society took over the second cottage also and commenced a three-year renovation project. Vintage materials were used to maintain an authentic appearance.

Working every day for eight months, the Oakville Historical Society volunteers completely restored both cottages, joining the two buildings into one. They replaced walls, roofs, rafters, several ceilings, 80% of the existing windows and added a skylight. They installed baseboards, trim and fire exits. The kitchens were rebuilt and updated, as were the wiring, heating and. plumbing throughput. The buildings were painted, inside and out, and drapes made and hung. Outside, the grounds were freshly landscaped and two new patios constructed.
The renovated cottages contain the Society's archives. This is a collection of historical documents. There is also Historical and a Marine Library.

Behind our offices by King Street, are beautiful gardens maintained by volunteer members. In front of the offices, member volunteers also maintain the bushes and fountain. Join the team and become a member.

In the fall, our member volunteers are busy preparing the gardens for fall, including leaf gathering.

Our offices are on the grounds of the Erchless Estate. Enjoy the Self Guided Walk of the Erchless Estate.​

Picture
The video mentions that Hazel built cottages. They now contain our offices.​
Safely visit our office and area. After visiting our office, see more of the Erchless Estate. Enjoy your SELF GUIDED WALK OF THE ERCHLESS ESTATE. A Heritage Moment vignette (short movie) gives insight to The Carriage House and the Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate.
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2022 Copyright & Legal notice:
The content of the Oakville Historical Society's ("OHS") website is to be used for general information only. The Oakville Historical Society and its officers and directors, members, webmaster and any other person contributing to this website do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any material contained herein. The Oakville Historical Society specifically disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to the use of this material or any results with respect thereto. The material contained in this website shall in no way be construed to constitute a recommendation by Oakville Historical Society Inc. The material contained within this website, except as otherwise indicated*, is owned by the Oakville Historical Society and is protected by copyright, trademark and/or other proprietary rights. You are free to copy and use the images herein for non-commercial purposes provided you give clear attribution to the Oakville Historical Society or the indicated copyright holder. Further details and restrictions are available here. Commercial uses are forbidden without OHS's or the copyright holder's written consent. Please use the Email Contact Form on the right side of our contact page and select Information as the topic.
  • HOME
  • Contact
    • DONATE
    • Internships
  • ABOUT
    • Our Story
    • Our Town
    • Our Office and Grounds
    • The Thomas House
    • Our Interns
    • Our Sponsors
    • Our Plaques >
      • Plaque Process
      • Plaque Order and Payment
    • Supporting our Cadets
  • Publications and Resources
    • Newsletters
    • Donate
    • Reprints >
      • Beautiful Oakville - 1897
      • Garden of Canada - c1902
      • Telephone Book 1947
      • The Sumner Diaries
    • Audio Video >
      • Videos of Life in Early Oakville
      • Oakville Heritage Moments
    • Links
  • Collections and Exhibits
    • Archives, Photos and Libraries
    • Stories
    • Website
    • Basket Factory Memorial Plaques
    • War >
      • First World War
      • First World War Poppies Exhibit
      • Ontario Farmerettes
      • Munro Letters
    • Health Care As It Was >
      • Health Care As It Was - Continued
    • Oakville Images
    • Plaqued Houses and Buildings
    • Town of Oakville Online Collections
  • Membership
    • Join, Renew or Update
    • Why Be A Member
    • Our Volunteers
  • Activities
    • Speakers' Nights
    • Guided Walking Tours
    • Self-guided Walking Tours >
      • Erchless Estate
      • Navy Street
      • Old Oakville
      • Trafalgar Road Heritage Conservation District
      • Trafalgar-Allan Corridor
      • Lot 12
    • Black History Month
    • Ghost Walks >
      • Ghost Stories
      • Video Ghost Stories
      • Question(s) or Comment(s)
      • 2019 Reviews
      • Ghost Walk Comments, Pictures +
    • Doors Open
    • Culture Days
    • Historic Places Days
    • Yard Sale
    • Mayor's Historical Picnic
    • Family Activities >
      • Annual Family Activities
      • Colouring >
        • Jigsaw Puzzles
  • Shop
    • Shop
    • Shop Order Form
    • Art of Oakville
    • Payment for Shop, Photo, Archive and Other