1. Description of Property 12: 1288-1306 Lakeshore Rd. East, Gairloch Estate Municipal Address 1288-1306 Lakeshore Rd. East Name (if applicable) Gairloch Estate Legal Description PT LTS 7 & 8, CON 4 TRAFALGAR, SOUTH OF DUNDAS STREET, AS IN 330179, 381274,"EXCEPT PT 1, 20R5754," S/T 697230, 606009, 809831, 691980 ; S/ T DEBTS, IF ANY, IN 330179, 381274 ; S/T 456800 ; OAKVILLE "ADDED AUG 10, 98 J. MENARD" S/T EASEMENT IN GROSS AS Location of Property This property is located on the south side of Lakeshore Rd. East and extends southward to Lake Ontario. Ownership Public - Town of Oakville Access Access was granted by the Town. Site inspection completed on August 25 th, 2015 (AB, CU, ES) Current Use Oakville Galleries and Gairloch Gardens. Open to public. Existing Designation Designated Heritage Property under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. By-law No. 1986-192. The Reason for Designation is provided in Schedule A to the by-law, as follows: The entire property provides an excellent example of a Lake Estate which remains intact and yet integrates a residential area to the East within its overall umbrella. It has many unique attributes, such as a meandering stream, a pond and formal areas such as the rose garden. The main house, which employs indigenous stone, was built in 1923-24 by Colonel W.G. MacKendrick. In 1960, the property was bought by Mr. James Gairdner and in 1972 he bequeathed the Estate to the Town of Oakville. General Description The Gairloch Estate is a 4.5-hectare (11-acre) public park that fronts on Lake Ontario. It was built as a private, waterfront estate by Col. W.G. MacKendrick in 1922 and donated to the Town by James Gairdner, who owned it from 1960 to 1971. It includes a large open park to the north, and intricate and well-manicured gardens, a pond and plantings towards the south. The key resource is a very large, Arts-and-Crafts-style house, which is currently used as the Oakville Gallery. It sits on the highest elevation of the property and provides a view of the lake and gardens. A large stone retaining wall runs along the southern part of the property and there is a pathway along the waterfront. A second building is located north of the main house, and is also used by the Gallery. To the east of the main house is a large open shelter supported on brick piers. Various sculptures, plaques, stone walls and manicured plantings are found throughout the property. The property is open to the public and provides visitors with walking trails and views of Lake Ontario. Priority Level Medium 12-1
Figure 1: Gairloch Gardens (AB, 2015) Figure 2: Main building (AB, 2015) 12-2
Lak esh ore Rd. E. Stone Gates Stone Piers Dam Cottage Formal Garden House Break Wall Lake Ontario Corporation of the Town of Oakville 1225 Trafalgar Rd Oakville, ON L6H 0H3 La ke s ho r er d. E. Stone Gates Gairloch Estate Stone Piers Cultural Heritage Landscape Inventory Map Cottage LEGEND Assessment Boundary Dam Building Formal Garden CHL Study Area House Heritage District Heritage Trail Parkland Park Trail Road Break Wall Site Structures Lake Ontario Vegetation Watercourse Drawing not to scale
2. Key Recommendations Priority =Medium Rationale for priority level: All existing built and natural cultural heritage resources may not have been identified or included in original designation; and Full evaluation could inform capital budget deliberations for landscape improvements. Recommendations for future action: Prepare a full evaluation report to confirm and/or update the heritage value and heritage attributes of the property, including landscape elements; Amend the designation by-law under section 30.1 OHA to clarify and correct the statement of cultural heritage value or interest of the property and describe the heritage attributes in greater detail; and Prepare a conservation plan for the property that addresses ongoing maintenance and repair of heritage attributes and includes provisions for interventions and an interpretation plan. 3. Documentation and Inventory of Built Form List of Built Features: A large, two-storey, Arts-and Crafts-style building, with a varied roof line, three, large stone chimneys, and overhanging eaves with brackets. The exterior includes areas clad in stone, clapboard and stucco; A one-and-a-half-storey building, with: one-storey wings on the north and south elevations; clapboard siding; gable roof with return eaves; and central interior stone chimney; An open shelter with a wooden roof, stone steps and piers, in the southeastern part of the property. The floor is inset with red brick; Paved and gravelled pathways throughout; A paved parking lot at the entrance, dug down into grade; Mid-20 th -century piers near the cottage; Two large stone piers and stone wall; Metal fencing and edging along Lakeshore Rd. East; A metal art sculpture along Lakeshore Rd. East; A mid-20 th -century utility building at the south end of the formal garden; Wooden fencing surrounding the rose garden; A small bridge crossing over a stream (under construction during the site visit); A stone sea wall and steps edging along the waterfront portion. Formed concrete breakwall and rockery (many years of additions and repairs can be seen, in different styles); A flat concrete surface directly between house and water (old foundation or previous patio area); A small outbuilding behind the house (eastern edge of property) matches the porches built onto the house; An old, low, stone retaining wall between the outbuilding and the water; Wooden benches located throughout; Plaques throughout; A stone archway and large stone wall found north of the main house; Stone steps located at various points, providing access to various grades in the topography; Various sized sculptures located around the main house/gallery; and 12-4
A second set of stone pillars and gates on the eastern edge of the property. 4. Documentation and Inventory of Natural Form List of Natural Features: Relatively flat topography that falls away towards the Lake Ontario; A naturalized area along the western edge of the property includes native and invasive trees (Pine, Norway Maple, Silver Maple, Walnut, Ash, Willow), perennials (Goldenrod, Jewelweed), vines (English Ivy, Boston Ivy); A creek runs along the western edge and opens up into Lake Ontario; A dam in the creek lines up with four old Spruce (which now mark the entrance to a formal garden); Manicured, arboretum-like park area (Sweetgum, Purple Beech, Mountain Ash, White Oak, ornamental Cherry, Walnut, Norway Maple, London Plane Tree, Austrian Pine, Honey Locust, Magnolia, Hackberry, Silver Maple, White Pine); New berm planting half-way down the eastern edge of the property line; Mature Norway Maple street trees along a residential road on the eastern edge of the property; A creek system with rocks, fountains and Weeping Willows; A formal garden containing roses and other colourful perennials; Stone walls to the south that retain the slope up to the outbuilding and are surrounded by very old plantings; The areas northeast of the house and parking lot have the oldest plantings (Burning Bush, Beech, Katsura, Beautybush, Red Cedar, Spruce, Rhododendron, Silver Maple, Magnolia, Yew, Ginkgo); and Individual rocks lining private properties on east side of estate. 5. Design (Typology) X all that apply 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 was first established as a private estate by Toronto engineer Colonel W.G. MacKendrick. Between 1909 and 1922, he amassed 400 acres of land in Oakville. The Arts-and-Crafts-style house was built on the lakefront as a summer house 12-5
for his family. The estate included a large grove of chestnut trees, prompting him to call it Chestnut Point. Chestnut trees were once very abundant in Oakville; during the early 20 th century most were lost to disease. 1 Col. W.G. MacKendrick (d.1957) was a civil engineer from Toronto who was President of Warren Bituminous Paving Company. He attended high school in Galt and left Canada around 1890 to work for an American company designing and building roads. By 1900 when he returned to Toronto, he was an expert in road construction and during the First World War, he served as a roads expert. In 1911, he built an Arts-and-Crafts-style house in Rosedale, to designs by architect Ashton Pentecost. The Oakville house, built 11 years later, was very similar to the Toronto house, and may also have been Pentecost s work. From 1960 to 1971 the estate was owned by James Gairdner, who renamed it Gairloch, meaning short lake in Gaelic. 2 James Gairdner was a Toronto investment dealer and artist who painted over 400 oil paintings. He was known for his largerthan-life personality. After he was stricken with severe arthritis in his early 50 s Gairdner established a foundation in 1957 to recognize major medical research accomplishments. 3 Upon his death in 1971, he bequeathed Gairloch to the Town of Oakville and requested that the house should be used as an art gallery for the display of works of art by contemporary artists, and the remaining land become a public park." 4 It has been used as an art gallery and park for more than 40 years. 7. Contextual Associations The property is surrounded by residential neighbourhoods to the north, east and west, and Lake Ontario to the south. The property appears to be the largest public space along Lakeshore Rd East. The house is built on the highest elevation and provides an impressive view of the gardens and waterfront. The large public park within the property consists of open grassy area to the north and manicured, landscaped grounds to the south, including a rose garden and ponds. The waterfront has a sea wall and provides an uninterrupted view of Lake Ontario and the waterfront shoreline. 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 Criteria Potentially Met (Y/N) Y Y N Potential Justification Gairloch may be a representative example of the lakefront estates established in Oakville in the early 20 th century. The house is a much-modified example of an Arts-and-Crafts-style house from the 1920s. The grounds may retain elements of early-20 th century garden design. The grounds and gardens may display a high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit. Not shown. 1 Ashe & Burnell, pg. 38 2 Ibid. 3 Gairdner Organization Website. About the Foundation. Accessed online October 2015 from http://www.gairdner.org/content/aboutfoundation-0 4 Oakville Galleries Website. History. Access online Oct 2015 from http://www.oakvillegalleries.com/about/history 12-6
O.Reg.9/06 Criteria 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 Potentially Met (Y/N) Y N Y Y Y Y Potential Justification Gairloch is associated with the development of estate properties along Oakville s waterfront in the early 20 th century as summer homes for wealthy families from Toronto and Hamilton. The property is associated with Col. W.G. MacKendrick, who was president of Warren Bituminous Paving Company. The property is associated with James Gairdner, who donated the house and land to the Town of Oakville. James Gairdner was a successful businessman, philanthropist, and artist. Not known. The house may demonstrate the work of Ashton Spencer Pentecost, a Toronto architect who designed MacKendrick s Toronto house. Elements of the grounds may reflect the work or ideas of James Gairdner. Gairloch is important in defining the character of the area along Lakeshore Road East, comprised of large estates (or remnant estates) from the 19 th and early 20 th centuries. Gairloch may be visually linked to its surroundings. Gairloch is considered a public landmark in the community. 12-7
9. Photographic Documentation Figure 4: Entrance gates and fencing along the south side of Lakeshore Rd. East. (AB, 2015) Figure 5: Pathways from parking lot (looking south), at the entrance to the public grounds. (AB, 2015) 12-8
Figure 6: Rose garden located towards the south-west portion of property. (AB, 2015) Figure 7: Rose garden located towards the south-west portion of property. (AB, 2015) 12-9
Figure 8: Ponds located east of the rose garden. (AB, 2015) Figure 9: Main building built in the Arts and Crafts style, now used as the Oakville Gallery (AB, 2015). 12-10
Figure 10: View of sea wall and Lake Ontario. (AB, 2015) Figure 11: Open shelter with stone steps and piers in the southeastern part of the property. (AB, 2015) 12-11
Figure 12: Stone arch and wall, north of the main house. (AB, 2015) Figure 13: Outbuilding north of the main house, with surrounding gardens. (AB, 2015) 12-12
10. Analysis & Recommendations Potential Heritage Value: Gairloch may have design value as a representative example of the lakefront estates established in Oakville in the early 20 th century. Although altered, the house is an example of an Arts-and-Crafts-style house from the 1920s. The grounds may retain elements that typify early-20 th -century garden design. The grounds and gardens may display a high degree of craftsmanship and artistic merit. Gairloch has historical associations with the development of estate properties along Oakville s waterfront in the early 20 th century as summer homes for wealthy families from Toronto and Hamilton. The property is associated with Col. W.G. MacKendrick, who first assembled the land and built the house and grounds; and with James Gairdner, who further developed the house and grounds and donated the property to the Town of Oakville. Both were successful entrepreneurs in Toronto; Gairdner also had a significant presence in Oakville. The house may demonstrate the work of Ashton Spencer Pentecost, the Toronto architect who designed a similar house for MacKendrick in Toronto in 1911. Elements of the grounds may reflect the design work or ideas of James Gairdner or of later landscape designers employed by the Town. Gairloch is important in defining the character of the area along Lakeshore Road East, comprised of large estates or remnant estates from the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. It may be visually linked to its surroundings. It is considered a public landmark in the community. Actions: Gairloch Estate is designated under Part IV of the OHA (By-law 1986-192). The reasons for designation are quite brief, but include both the house and landscape elements. It could be improved to conform with post-2005 OHA requirements for designation by-laws by including a description of the property, a statement of value, and a list of heritage attributes, including the many landscape features that contribute to the property s cultural heritage value or interest. A full evaluation of the property would provide the information necessary to write an appropriate statement of cultural heritage value and description of heritage attributes in keeping with the requirements of the OHA. Given that the property is owned by the Town and is already protected by the existing by-law, these improvements are not urgent, but would clarify the heritage value of the property for ongoing maintenance, repair and intervention purposes. Section 30.1 OHA provides that municipal council may amend a designation by-law without going through the designation process again, if the purpose of the amendment is to clarify or correct the statement explaining the property s cultural heritage value or interest or the description of the property s heritage attributes. The Town may also want to consider preparing a conservation plan to assist with management of the property in order to ensure appropriate treatment of the estate s heritage attributes. An interpretation plan may be part of the conservation plan. A medium priority level is recommended for the following reason: All existing built and natural cultural heritage resources may not have been identified or included in original designation; and Full evaluation could inform capital budget deliberations for landscape improvements. 11. Sources Ashe, David and Joyce Burnell, Oakville Street Names and Landmarks, (London, ON: Burnell Creighton Publishing, 2007). 12-13
Gairdner Organization Website. About the Foundation. Accessed online October 2015 at http://www.gairdner.org/content/about-foundation-0 Hill, Robert, Ashton Spencer Pentecost in Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada, accessed online at http://dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/1729 Teresa Casas, Paving the Way to Paradise: W.G. MacKendrick, William James and the Interconnected Development of Parks, Subdivisions and Estates in Toronto and Oakville Accessed online, November 2015 at https://backtothepark.files.wordpress.com/2014/06/paving-word-june-28-2014.pdf Oakville Galleries, History at http://www.oakvillegalleries.com/about/history. Accessed October 2015. Town of Oakville, Heritage Register: Section F. Last updated: October 24th, 2014. Accessed online at http://www.oakville.ca/assets/2011%20planning/hrtg-sectionf-2015.pdf Town of Oakville. A by-law to designate certain property as property of historical and architectural value of interest. Bylaw 1986-192. Yu, Sydria, Brightly lit historic house with a background oasis, in Globe & Mail, 13 March 2009. 12. Appendix A SCHEDULE "A" TO BY-LAW 1986-192 REASON FOR DESIGNATION: The entire property provides an excellent example of a Lake Estate which remains intact and yet integrates a residential area to the East within its overall umbrella. It has many unique attributes, such as a meandering stream, a pond and formal areas such as the rose garden. The main house, which employs indigenous stone, was built in 1923-24 by Colonel W. G. MacKendrick. In 1960, the property was bought by Mr. James Gairdner and in 1972 he bequeathed the Estate to the Town of Oakville 12-14