Oakville Heritage
Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate is a four-acre estate home and gardens set on the shores of Lake Ontario in downtown Oakville. The Museum preserves and interprets the town’s history through the heritage and home of Oakville’s founding family, the Chisholms. The Town of Oakville owes its existence to the vision of Colonel William Chisholm (1788-1842), an enterprising merchant and shipbuilder. In 1827, he bought 960 acres of land from the Crown at the mouth of the Sixteen Mile Creek on Lake Ontario to establish a port, shipbuilding yard and the village of Oakville. Today, visitors to the Oakville Museum can take a guided tour of Erchless, the Chisholm Family Home, (c.1858), which is authentically restored to the elegance of its 1925 appearance. Visitors can also experience the Custom House, once home to a bank, general store and Oakville’s Custom Offices, now housing the Museum’s temporary exhibits with a beautiful view of Lake Ontario. Visitors may also enjoy a delightful walking tour of the estate grounds and gardens with a panoramic view of the Oakville Harbour; across from Erchless is the Old Post Office, open seasonally. Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate is owned and operated by the Town of Oakville, administered through the Recreation & Culture Department. Oakville Museum at Erchless Estate is designated as a Category A Heritage Institution and holds objects of national significance.
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