407 Trafalgar Road - The John A. Chisholm and Sarah Pettit Bigger Chisholm home

John A. Chisholm (1816-1874) was a son of the Town's founder and managed the family's mills

John Alexander Chisholm (1816-1874) was the third son of the founder, Colonel William Chisholm. He was married to Sarah Pettit Bigger (1821-1903). Their large family included two other sons that lived further south on Trafalgar Road, William Bigger Chisholm and Charles Pettit Chisholm as well as Robert McKenzie Chisholm (who set fire to the basket factory). The fourth son, also John Alexander, lived less than five months. They must have really like the name because the next son was also John Alexander. He ended up owning the Erchless Estate at the foot of Navy Street and was the father of Hazel Chisholm Mathews, author of Oakville and the Sixteen.

John Sr. had been a farmer in Nelson Township (now Burlington) until he took possession of the farm which ran north and east from this house. He also ran the family mills. The Chisholm mill was located on the bank of the Sixteen, just downriver from Speers Road.

The house was originally at the end of a long lane but was moved here and considerably remodeled in the early 1900s.

John was a founding member of the Oakville Temperance Reformation Society in 1834.