Gatekeeper's Cottage & Gates Commemorative plaque, 2022
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Resource ID
10046
Access
Open
Address
45 Oaklands Avenue, Toronto, ON M4V 2E4
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2022
Historical Themes
Program Category
Time Period
Caption
Gatekeeper's Cottage & Gates Commemorative plaque, 2022
Description
This cottage (1908) and the ornate gates (circa 1870) were built as part of Oaklands estate, a grand property in continuous use since 1860.
The shore of ancient Lake Iroquois runs east–west through the property. Like Oaklands, many estates were built on the natural ridge formed near the lake during the last ice age. Nearby Davenport Road follows the shore and was a well-used travel route for First Nations.
Senator John Macdonald (1824–1890) built the main house at Oaklands around 1860. The gates were initially located at the southeast corner at Cottingham Street and were moved here between 1899 and 1903. The octagonal posts have reliefs in the shape of a quatrefoil, which looks like a four-leaf clover. The railings include a trefoil design, similar to a three-leaf clover. Both are associated with Gothic Revival architecture.
In 1905, the American McCormick family purchased the estate for their daughter, Mary Virginia (1861–1941). The McCormicks’ wealth was built on the invention of a mechanical reaper, designed by Mary Virginia’s father, Cyrus, and Jo Anderson, a man enslaved on the family’s Virginia plantation. The McCormicks renovated Oaklands and constructed the gatekeeper’s cottage in 1908. Architects Darling and Pearson designed the cottage. Its asymmetrical verandah and Doric columns give it a rustic appearance.
Marker lat / long: 43.680646, -79.398504 (WGS84)