56 Water Street - The Oakville Club

The Oakville Club began as a warehouse belonging to William Chisholm in 1828.

The Oakville Club, situated at the foot of William Street, close to the Sixteen, stands where two or more warehouses once served the trade of Oakville. The grain warehouse of William Chisholm was built in 1828, a little closer to the creek than his first shop and chandlery up the hill. The building was acquired by Obadiah Marlatt in the 1850s and was probably rebuilt by him. In 1878 it was acquired by a farmer's co-operative, the Grangers, and the warehouse enlarged. Their building was taken over in 1894 by John Wales, a flour and food merchant.

In 1908 it was acquired by the Oakville Tennis Club and remodeled to become a private club.

The Trafalgar Agricultural Association, which annually held a fall fair, moved from Reynolds to Trafalgar Park (west of the Sixteen, north of Rebecca behind the arena) and purchased and moved an aeroplane hangar from Beamsville to serve as a display hall. When the Oakville Fair folded, the hangar was bought by the Oakville Club and moved again to serve as a badmintion court. During excavations to install the hangar, the old foundation of George Chalmers' warehouse, built about 1840, was uncovered. Some of its stones are now part of the club fireplace.