Period Homes

Period Homes. . , Period Homes, For the greater part of the nineteenth century, the centre hall Georgian plan remained popular. In the early homes, this basic form was embellished with door and window surrounds and cornice treatments. The degree of decorative detail depended on the financial capabilities of the owner., The Sweeney House was built by ship carpenters John and Thomas Sweeney circa 1834. Stuccoed in the 1850s, this Georgian Style house features windows balanced around a centre door embellished by a rectangular transom and side lights to illuminate the hall. The cedar shake roof reflects the material that was used during that period., Brick was a much more expensive cladding and as a result, there were very few houses built with this material until the 1860s. Early bricks were somewhat irregular in size, averaging less than 8" x 4" 2". They had flat surfaces but were often rough, warped and cracked., The Lt-Col. George K. Chisholm House at 85 Navy Street was built in 1848 as a one and a half storey Regency Style brick house. It was one of Oakville's first brick houses. Its owner became the town's first mayor., Census records show that in 1851 there were 130 framehouses and 4 brickhouses in Oakville. By 1861, as the town grew in prosperity the number of homeowners had increased substantially and there were 228 frame houses and 45 brick houses., Many of Old Oakville's early homes have been preserved and recognized with plaques commemorating the original owner and the year in which the home was built.