Address:
105 Robinson Street - The Granary
Summary:
The Granary was built about 1855 on the site of an earlier warehouse. It is the only Ontario stone warehouse still standing in its original location.
Property Details:
The Granary was built in 1855 as a simple grain warehouse with two types of stones. The white limestone came as ballast from Kingston, Ontario and the darker stone (shale) was taken locally out of Lake Ontario. Although the property is now being used as an office space, the original integrity of the building has been retained and the structure is the only remaining grain warehouse on its original site in Ontario.
Wheat from the farms of Trafalgar Township and the lands to the north followed timber as the second most important commodity for Oakville and its harbour. Dealers in wheat were among Oakville's most prosperous citizens. The Granary was built on the site of an earlier warehouse (1836) owned by Alexander Proudfoot, merchant, of Trafalgar Township on Dundas Street. Proudfoot disposed of his Oakville interests and moved to Montreal in the 1850s. At about that time, essentially on the Proudfoot warehouse site, Romain and MacDougald built this stone warehouse, using limestone ballast brought in by the Lake schooners, and stone from the Lake bottom, harvested by stone hookers. Internally, massive pine timbers support the floors of the building.
The Granary is the only Ontario stone warehouse of its type still standing on its original location. The walls are up to 24 inches thick. Horses were stabled in the lowest level and their names are still on the beams. The trestle originally ran over the towpath out to the water's edge.
The final picture in this section shows the Oakville Harbour area, as seen from the West bank of 16 Mile Creek. Note the old Central School in the background on the left, (where the Central Library is currently located) and the Hagaman building at Lakeshore Road and Navy Street with the smoke stack and the granery (with its dock) just behind the sail boat. The buildings in the foreground were involved in ship building.
Wheat from the farms of Trafalgar Township and the lands to the north followed timber as the second most important commodity for Oakville and its harbour. Dealers in wheat were among Oakville's most prosperous citizens. The Granary was built on the site of an earlier warehouse (1836) owned by Alexander Proudfoot, merchant, of Trafalgar Township on Dundas Street. Proudfoot disposed of his Oakville interests and moved to Montreal in the 1850s. At about that time, essentially on the Proudfoot warehouse site, Romain and MacDougald built this stone warehouse, using limestone ballast brought in by the Lake schooners, and stone from the Lake bottom, harvested by stone hookers. Internally, massive pine timbers support the floors of the building.
The Granary is the only Ontario stone warehouse of its type still standing on its original location. The walls are up to 24 inches thick. Horses were stabled in the lowest level and their names are still on the beams. The trestle originally ran over the towpath out to the water's edge.
The final picture in this section shows the Oakville Harbour area, as seen from the West bank of 16 Mile Creek. Note the old Central School in the background on the left, (where the Central Library is currently located) and the Hagaman building at Lakeshore Road and Navy Street with the smoke stack and the granery (with its dock) just behind the sail boat. The buildings in the foreground were involved in ship building.
Click to Enlarge
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Robinson Street #105
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The Granery c 1900 from The Ontario Archives
2020.61.50 H1
Robinson Street #105
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The Granery c 1900 from The Ontario Archives