The Barn at 1399 Lakeshore Road East

The barn on the property was built circa 1920 when the property was owned by the Cox family

The property located at 1399 Lakeshore Road East has had several owners and is well documented in the Town of Oakville Heritage Impact Assessment dated October 7, 2016. In this assessment, it was determined that the existing barn was built sometime between 1914 and 1937. The barn is located well back from Lakeshore Road and is not visible from the street. A paragraph from the Heritage Impact Assessment states:

"A 1937 survey clearly illustrates the original footprint of the house and adjacent orchard. It is assumed that the stables, and surrounding structures, inclusive of additional barns, stables and greenhouses were built by the Cox family. The last remaining stable, built sometime between 1914 and 1937 is shown below." It is shown in the actual Assessment.

In 1914, Louise B. Cox, wife of Herbert Coplin Cox, purchased the property from James Ryrie, and served to further expand the Cox summer estate located to the south.

It is believed that the barn was built by the Cox family, circa 1920. Prior to this date, according to the Heritage Impact Assessment:

"John Thomas (Jack) Moulding, a highly respected stable manager and horseman, was asked by Herbert Cox to come from England to look after the family hunters, polo ponies, riding and carriage horses with stables, polo field and riding arena on the Cox Estate. His daughter Joan recalls the residence was on the north side of the Lakeshore Highway with the stables and other activity areas south of the road".

The daughter's statement indicates that there was a house on the north side of the Lakeshore, but no stable or barn for horses at that time.

Jack Moulding arrived in Canada in 1910 to work at the Cox estate. In 1914, just as the Cox family purchased the property, Jack Moulding joined the CEF and went off to war, returning to Canada in 1919. There is no record of him in the 1921 census. He could have been residing on the Cox estate south of Lakeshore Rd., and not included in the census for that year. He married Jennie McDermott in 1923, both residents of Oakville at the time, and their first child, Paul Moulding was born in Oakville in 1925.

The 1921 census does indicate that Wilfrid A. Cox, a cousin to Herbert C. Cox, and his wife Carol, daughter of Harland Smith, were leasing the property at the southeast part of Lot 7, Concession 3 SDS in a 12-room house. It is believed that this is the house at 1399 Lakeshore Rd. E. The number of rooms indicated (12) coincides with an earlier owner of the house, Geoffrey Hall, as noted in the 1901 census, schedule 2.

Carol Cox, an expert horsewoman, married Wilfrid Cox in 1920. They took up residence at 1399 Lakeshore and would likely have required a barn or stable to keep the horse(s), carriage, and tack. They lived there for many years as is reflected in the 1956 phone book under W. M. Cox and the 1973 phone book under Mrs. W. H. Cox.

The photo of the horse and carriage is in front of the home of Mr. and Mrs. Wilfred M. Cox with a 4-horse carriage holding friends. Written on back: "Home of Mr. + Mrs. Wilfred M. Cox, Oakville, July 1, 1931. Left to right: Walter Harland Smith; Mrs. Jas. A. Gairdner; Mrs. Fleming; Mrs. W. M. Copeland; Mrs. Robt. K. Armstrong; Mrs. H. W. E. Kepler; Mr. W. M. Copeland; Mr. R. K. Armstrong; Mr. Jas. Stutt; Mr. Wilfred M. Cox; Master John Cox; Mrs. Wilfred M. Cox; Inside the Coach; Mr. + Mrs. J. Grant Ryrie"