Bowbeer House

Bowbeer House. . The Bowbeer House is a unique example of a one storey brick farmhouse, reconstructed from the original c. 1850s house. The original house was built over a swale which resulted in significant structural issues. In 2012, the house was dismantled and both exterior and interior elements were salvaged and stored until 2020 when the house was reconstructed with the same design as the original house using new and salvaged materials., The house is historically associated with several well-known families in Trafalgar Township including the Bowbeer family who likely constructed the house. William and Mevira Bowbeer lived on the property between 1835 and 1855 and raised 11 children together. In 1853, their son William Somerset Bowbeer built the existing house at 1086 Burnhamthorpe Road East which is very similar in age, design, material and architectural details. The property was later owned by the Biggars, a Loyalist family who were among the first settlers in Trafalgar Township and contributed greatly to the early settlement and development of Trafalgar Township., The dichromatic red and buff brickwork was laid in a combination of Flemish bond and common bond with decorative brickwork including brick quoins at the corners of the building, ornamental bands of brick roses' and vertical brick headers above the windows and doors. The new 6/6 wood windows and wood panelled front door were designed to replicate what would have existed historically. On the interior, the historic mantelpiece has been reinstated and original features such as wood baseboards, trim and moulded panels have been replicated The house has contextual value as a landmark along Sixth Line, a historic side road, and as one of the last remaining historic structures associated with the historic settlement of Munn's Corners at Sixth Line and Dundas Street. This historic settlement was once home to taverns, a stagehouse, church, parsonage, cemetery, school and multiple residences. The house continues to be a significant reminder of the former agricultural landscape of this area of Oakville., The property also has contextual associations with the ancestors of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation who used the land prior to European settlement of this area. The property is contextually significant as a reminder of not only the development of the area by early settlers like the Bowbeer family, but also of the land's association with Indigenous peoples for centuries prior to European settlement. ,