Address:
155 Allan Street - Shaw Brothers House
Summary:
Photographed in 2019. The house was built in 1914.
Property Details:
The Shaw brothers (Fred, George and Sam) were popular builders and contractors in Oakville throughout the 1920s and 1930s.
William John Shaw was born on 24 July 1863 in Liverpool, England, the fourth of nine children of Joseph and Elizabeth Shaw. Joseph was an engineer.
In 1887, William married Rachel Walker and they lived at Walton On The Hill, a village just outside of Liverpool. He was a joiner and builder by trade and the family, eventually including five children: Fred; George; Flora; Samuel and Rachel, resided in the area until 1908 at which time they decided to emigrate to Canada, settling in Oakville.
The family would have noticed a stark contrast from the overcrowded streets of Liverpool and likely welcomed the pleasant tree-lined streets of Oakville and its proximity to the lake with its beaches, piers and harbour. In 1909, William purchased Lot 14 at the corner of Allan Street and Sumner Avenue in the newly-formed Brantwood Survey for $300 and built the family home. The Shaws also owned several other lots along Allan St. It was a happy existence for the family with William and sons establishing their trade as builders.
In 1915, the two eligible sons, Fred and George, signed up and went off to war, both fighting on the battlefields of France. Fortunately, they would return home. However, tragedy struck the family before their arrival when their father William contracted tuberculosis and succumbed to his illness in July of 1918.
The family continued on, with the 3 sons building houses and buildings in the area, employing many tradesmen and creating business for the planing mills and suppliers. They built the bank at the corner of Lakeshore Road and George Street as well as the cottages that now house the Oakville Historical Society. The three sons remained in town where in later years, in addition to their building trade, they became members of the Oakville Volunteer Fire Department.
William John Shaw was born on 24 July 1863 in Liverpool, England, the fourth of nine children of Joseph and Elizabeth Shaw. Joseph was an engineer.
In 1887, William married Rachel Walker and they lived at Walton On The Hill, a village just outside of Liverpool. He was a joiner and builder by trade and the family, eventually including five children: Fred; George; Flora; Samuel and Rachel, resided in the area until 1908 at which time they decided to emigrate to Canada, settling in Oakville.
The family would have noticed a stark contrast from the overcrowded streets of Liverpool and likely welcomed the pleasant tree-lined streets of Oakville and its proximity to the lake with its beaches, piers and harbour. In 1909, William purchased Lot 14 at the corner of Allan Street and Sumner Avenue in the newly-formed Brantwood Survey for $300 and built the family home. The Shaws also owned several other lots along Allan St. It was a happy existence for the family with William and sons establishing their trade as builders.
In 1915, the two eligible sons, Fred and George, signed up and went off to war, both fighting on the battlefields of France. Fortunately, they would return home. However, tragedy struck the family before their arrival when their father William contracted tuberculosis and succumbed to his illness in July of 1918.
The family continued on, with the 3 sons building houses and buildings in the area, employing many tradesmen and creating business for the planing mills and suppliers. They built the bank at the corner of Lakeshore Road and George Street as well as the cottages that now house the Oakville Historical Society. The three sons remained in town where in later years, in addition to their building trade, they became members of the Oakville Volunteer Fire Department.
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155 Allan Street, 2018
155 Allan Street
155 Allan Street, 2018
155 Allan Street