A rare fieldstone wall on the east side of Bronte Road is slated for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The century-old wall, originally built in front of the Glendon House property at 231 Bronte Rd., is unique because it is built from local stone likely gathered from the property.
While a number of walls built from lake stone remain in the town, the Bronte Road wall is “one of the only, if not the only, fieldstone wall” left in Oakville, says a report from town heritage staff.
It is believed to have been built between 1908 and 1924, shortly after the Glendon family constructed a summer cottage on land north of Hixon (then Hickson) and south of Rebecca.
“The wall is made of local fieldstone and is broken into different sections with curved slopes that rise up to square stone columns and sugar maple trees, which demarcate these sections,” says a report from heritage staff.
“The wall is topped with single stones, creating a decorative look that resembles a string of beads.”
It adds that the use of natural and local materials was reflective of the design era of its time, and that the wall’s “pastoral appearance” would have been a deliberate choice by the owners.
“The stone wall was less a functional structure and more a decorative one, grounding the house on the site and adding a natural, rustic aesthetic that was typical of the Arts and Crafts era.”
During the Glendon family’s ownership and for some time later, the property was known as “Indian Knoll”.
Between 1875 and 1904, the property was owned by the Walton family, who was responsible for building Bronte’s Walton Memorial United Church.
Due to a 2005 severance of the property, the fieldstone wall now also fronts the homes at 225 and 235 Bronte Rd.
“The conservation of the stone wall will ensure that this important street scape will be retained and will continue to inform passerby of the area’s history,” says the heritage report.
At its Nov. 25 meeting, Oakville council gave notice of its intent to designate the wall, which will protect it from being altered or demolished without permission. Anyone wishing to appeal the designation has 30 days to do so.
The town is on a push to evaluate properties on its heritage registry, ahead of a 2027 change to provincial rules related to historic properties.
For many years, Oakville has maintained a heritage registry that includes officially designated historic properties and districts, but also lists properties of interest that might meet the criteria for designation.
These listed but not designated properties are marked for further evaluation if anyone expresses interest in demolishing them.
But under new provincial rules, listed properties may only stay on the heritage registry for two years. At that point, they must be either designated or removed for at least five years.
For properties listed prior to the new legislation, the deadline is Jan. 1, 2027, which is an extension from an initial deadline of January 2025.