9: 204 & 240 front street, george street parkette & dingle ... -...

Inventory Report: 204 & 240 Front Street, George Street Parkette & Dingle Park

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9: 204 & 240 Front Street, George Street Parkette & Dingle Park

1. Description of Property Municipal Address 204 & 240 Front Street Name (if applicable) George Street Parkette & Dingle Park Legal Description 204 Front St. PT LT 4, BLK 78, PL 1 , AS IN OC18398 TOWN OF OAKVILLE

204 Front St. WATER LOT IN FRONT OF LOT LOT 1, BL 80, PL 1 ; LT 1,2,3,4, BLK 80, PL 1 , LT 5,6,7,8, BLK 81, PL 1 , S/T DEBTS, IF ANY, IN 228532 TOWN OF OAKVILLE

Location of Property George Street Parkette (204 Front St.) and Dingle Park (240 Front St.) both located on the north shore of Lake Ontario and the south side of Front Street, between George Street and Reynolds Street.

Ownership Public – Town of Oakville Access Site visit completed August 11, 2015 (CU, AB) Current Use Public Park Existing Designation Part V OHA. Designated in 1981 as part of the Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District (By-

law 1981-144) General Description George Street Parkette and Dingle Park are small, public parks along the Lake Ontario

shoreline. They are located within town lots defined in the early 19th century and provide viewscapes of the lake and of the two-storey cottages and houses facing the lake.

Priority Level N/A – No Further Action Required

Figure 1: George Street Parkette. (CU, 2015)

Fron

t St.

Dunn St.

Trafalgar Rd.

George St.

Reynolds St.

King S

t.

Willi

am St

.

LakeOntario

Front

St.

Dunn St.

Trafalgar Rd.

George St.

Reynolds St.

King S

t.

Willi

am St

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LakeOntario

LEGEND

Dingle ParkCultural Heritage LandscapeInventory Map

Drawing not to scale

Corporation of theTown of Oakville1225 Trafalgar RdOakville, ONL6H 0H3

Watercourse

Site Structures

Vegetation

Assessment Boundary

Building

CHL Study Area

Heritage District

Heritage Trail

Parkland

Park Trail

Road

Lake Ontario

George St. Fron

t St.

Field StoneRow

YoungMemorial

Oak

PicketFence

Lake Ontario

George St.

Fron

t St.

Field StoneRow

YoungMemorial

Oak

PicketFence

LEGEND

George St. ParketteCultural Heritage LandscapeInventory Map

Drawing not to scale

Corporation of theTown of Oakville1225 Trafalgar RdOakville, ONL6H 0H3

Watercourse

Site Structures

Vegetation

Assessment Boundary

Building

CHL Study Area

Heritage District

Heritage Trail

Parkland

Park Trail

Road


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2. Key Recommendations Priority = N/A

No further action is recommended for the following reasons:

• No known vulnerabilities; and • Inclusion in Old Oakville HCD sufficiently protects any potential cultural heritage resources.

3. Documentation and Inventory of Built Form List of Built Features:

• Armour stone retaining wall; • Wide stone steps in the armour stone wall leading down to the beach, west of Dunn Street; • Fencing of various types (single course stone walls, wooden pickets, post and chain); • Two stone (likely red sandstone) blocks near the trail entrance at Trafalgar Road; and • Park furniture, including benches and picnic tables, many of which are commemorative.

4. Documentation and Inventory of Natural Form List of Natural Features:

• Lake Ontario; • Shale beach; • Mature trees providing shade along Front Street; • Primarily mature, maple and walnut trees, willows, spruce and poplar. Several of these are commemorative tree

plantings with plaques; • Grassed lawns; and • Japanese Knotweed along the armour stone wall.

5. Design (Typology) ‘X’ all that

apply Categories of Cultural Heritage Landscape

Description

X Designed Landscape “…clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by man.”

X Organically Evolved Landscape

“…results from an initial social, economic, administrative, and/or religious imperative and has developed in its present form in response to its natural environment”

Relict Landscape (Evolved Landscape)

“…in which an evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past.”

X Continuing Landscape (Evolved Landscape)

“…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.”


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‘X’ all that apply

Categories of Cultural Heritage Landscape

Description

Associative Cultural Landscape

“…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 narrow, undeveloped water lots comprising the George Street Parkette and Dingle Park have long provided access to the lakeshore for the historic cottages and residences in this section of Old Oakville. The 1835 and 1877 plans of Oakville show the configuration of streets (including Front Street) and indicate that subdivided lots on the south side of Front Street had been laid out (Figure 4 & 5). Both plans indicate that the road allowances for Dunn, Trafalgar and Reynold Streets extended to the lake, although George Street terminated at Front Street. At present, Dingle Park east of Dunn Street, in particular the trail follows the historic continuation of Front Street.

Figure 4: Detail of 1835 Plan of Oakville showing location of George Street Parkette and Dingle Park. (Oakville Public Library)


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Figure 5: Detail of 1877 Map of Oakville showing George Street Parkette and Dingle Park. (Oakville Public Library)

7. Contextual Associations George Street Parkette and Dingle Park are important components of the Old Oakville HCD. Their respective natural and built landscaping features contribute to the heritage character of this section of the HCD (Blocks 3 and 4 in the HCD Plan) (Figure 6 & 7). The Old Oakville Downtown Residential Area Heritage Conservation District Plan (1981, second printing December, 1982) includes the following references:

• Section B: District Analysis o Existing Land Uses (s. 1.5) “The Lake Ontario shoreline is more accessible to the general public than the creek

lands but still limited due to the private lots that back onto the lake. Lakeside Park, and Dingle Park (a narrow shoreline strip running from the easterly end of Front Street at Dunn Street east to Allan Street) are the two parks that provide access to the shoreline.”

o Pedestrian Paths (s. 2.6) “While the heritage value of the area is an important attraction to many people, additional pedestrian oriented activities are encouraged by the physical amenities found as part of the natural environment. One such amenity is the lake, where public access is provided by Lakeside Park and Dingle Park”

o George Street Parkette is not named in the HCD Plan, although it is indicated as ‘open space’ on Figure 5, Existing Land Use (p.4).

o Both sites have been mapped and described as part of Block 3 and Block 4 (Block Analysis s. 5.0). The landscape has undergone minimal change since the 1982 HCD Plan.

• Section C: Policy Recommendations


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o Landscaping, Amenities, Streetscapes (s. 4) “That landscaping, amenities and the general streetscape follow appropriate design principles, reflect the area’s historic background and provide a pleasing environment for residents and visitors.” The guidelines that follow list contributing natural and built features of the sites and their environs (including views) and provide protection with respect to their maintenance and enhancement. The effectiveness of the 1982 guidelines is apparent in the improvements to the park and parkette (including the installation of commemorative park furniture and tree plantings) which have maintained and enhanced the heritage character of the landscape.

Figure 6: Block 3, Old Oakville HCD Plan (from Old Oakville HCD Plan, 1981)


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Figure 7: Block 4, Old Oakville HCD Plan (from Old Oakville HCD Plan, 1981)

8. Evaluation (O. Reg 9/06)

O.Reg.9/06 Criteria Criteria

Potentially Met (Y/N)

Potential Justification

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,

N Not shown.

ii. displays a high degree of craftsmanship or artistic merit, or N Not shown.

iii. demonstrates a high degree of technical or scientific achievement. N Not shown.

2. The property has historical value or associative value because it,

i. has direct associations with a theme, event, belief, person, activity, organization or institution that is significant to a community,

N Not shown.

ii. yields, or has the potential to yield, information that contributes to an understanding of a community or culture, or

Y

Portions of the George Street Parkette and Dingle Park which have not been subject to recent and extensive ground disturbances have potential to yield


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information that contributes to an understanding of local First Nations and early Euro-Canadian settlers.

iii. demonstrates or reflects the work or ideas of an architect, artist, builder, designer or theorist who is significant to a community.

N Not shown.

3. The property has contextual value because it,

i. is important in defining, maintaining or supporting the character of an area, Y

The George Street Parkette and Dingle Park are important in maintaining the character of the surrounding heritage conservation district, including: the tree canopy, access to the lake and views to downtown, the Toronto skyline and South shore of the lake.

ii. is physically, functionally, visually or historically linked to its surroundings, or Y

The George Street Parkette and Dingle Park are visually and historically linked to their surroundings and contribute to the heritage character of the Old Oakville HCD. They also reflect early

iii. is a landmark. N The George Street Parkette and Dingle Park are not landmarks


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9. Photographic Documentation

Figure 8: Front Street, facing east from George Street Parkette toward Dingle Park. (CU, 2015)

Figure 9: Dingle Park shoreline, facing east towards Toronto skyline. (CU, 2015)


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Figure 10: Dingle Park, near Trafalgar Road, facing southward. (CU, 2015)

10. Analysis & Recommendations Potential Heritage Value:

The public parkland comprising the George Street Parkette and Dingle Park is important in maintaining and supporting the cultural heritage value of the Old Oakville HCD. Built and natural elements reinforce the character of this portion of the HCD, which is characterised by its low-lying, waterfront location, narrow street, ample tree cover and “intimate” nature. Both parks provide access to the lake and views towards downtown, the Toronto skyline and south shore of the lake, which are important features of the character of this portion of the HCD (Blocks 3 and 4 in the HCD Plan).

Existing Protection:

Dingle Park and George Street Parkette are located within the Old Oakville HCD (designated in 1981, by-law 1981-144).

Actions:

The cultural heritage value and key natural and built features of both George Street Parkette and Dingle Park are well documented and protected by the Old Oakville HCD Plan.

A N/A priority level is recommended for the following reasons:

• No known vulnerabilities; and • Inclusion in Old Oakville HCD sufficiently protects any potential cultural heritage resources.


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11. Sources Town of Oakville, “Old Oakville Downtown Residential Area Heritage Conservation District Plan, Final Report,” 1981, second printing December, 1982.

Oakville Public Library, “Oakville Images”

Palmer, Edward B., 1835. Plan of Oakville, Township of Trafalgar Upper Canada. Accessed September, 2015 http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/58551/data

Kerr, Robert W., 1837. Map of Oakville. Accessed September, 2015 http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/58494/data?n=4

Walker & Miles, 1877. Map of Oakville. Access September, 2015 http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/58528/data?n=5

http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/58551/data

http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/58494/data?n=4

http://images.oakville.halinet.on.ca/58528/data?n=5

9: 204 & 240 front street, george street parkette & dingle ... -...

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