We recently received an inquiry about a house near the Wilcox House in Mississauga from our #HowDoYouHeritage post on our Instagram, so here is more information about the James Austin House.

James Austin House
Formerly located at 4615 Hurontario Street
Built between 1865-1876
Demolished 1990
Formerly Listed on the Heritage Register

Austin-Dell House, 1976

The James Austin House, also referred to as the Austin-Dell House, was located on Lot 15, Concession 2, NDS.

The lot was first granted by The Crown to James Austin, who received 50 acres in the West ½ of the property on September 19, 1844. On July 13, 1876 to property was Willed by James Austin to James A. Austin and Ellen A. Hewson. James Augustus Austin and Ellen Amelia (nee Austin) Hewson were siblings, and children of James Austin (1806-1876) and Eleanor Aikins (1816-1854).

The house is noted as likely being built between 1865 and 1876 by James Austin. However, it is uncertain as to whether the house was built by the father, James Austin Sr., or his son, James Augustus Austin Jr.

Eleanor and James Austin Sr. had four children: James Augustus (1835-1900), Anne Jane (1835-1924), Caroline Elizabeth (1839-1874) and Ellen Amelia (1843-1909).

James Sr.’s wife was Eleanor Aikins, daughter of James Aikins, who was also the sister of renowned medical practitioner Doctor Moses Henry Aikins, and of James Cox Aikins, a prominent politician and 4th Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba. One of their daughters, Caroline Elizabeth, married Samuel Alexander Price, a member of another prominent family.

James Augustus Austin Jr. married Susan Graham (1842-1926) of the well-to-do Graham family of Grahamsville in Peel County. James Jr. and Susan had four children: Dr. James Herbert (1871-1905), Annie Eleanor (1873-1958), Arthur Graham (1877-1950) and Carrie Isabel (1880-1940). The family was connected with the congregation of Britannia Wesleyan Methodist (United) Church. Following James Jr.’s death, much of the family relocated to Calgary, Alberta.

James A. Austin sold the property to James Faris on April 7, 1879, who in turn sold the property to John McCauley in 1882.

James Faris only lived in Toronto Township for a short time. He was born in Simcoe County, Ontario in 1856, and moved to Toronto Township with his wife, Linnie Mickle, in 1879 with the purchase of this property. In 1882 they relocated to White Plains, New York, selling this property in 1882 to John McCauley. McCauley had previously acquired 100 acres in the cente of the lot, which combined with purchase from Faris, gave McCauley 150 acres of land. McCauley granted his 150 acres to Isabella and Albert Thomson on March 30, 1920.

Albert Mathew Thomson and Isabella (1864-1948) had at least ones son, A.W. Thomson, who in 1948 was farming in Albion. Nothing further is known about the Thomson family at this time.

On October 6, 1938 the property was purchased by Grace and Edmund Almond, who sold it in 1942 to Walter Scott. Irene and Walter Scott sold the property in 1944 to Grace Deacon, and in 1946 it was purchased by Stanford Dock. The property was leased by James McArthur in 1951 for 5 years.

In 1960 Stanford Dock granted the property to the Trustees of Wheaton College, who in turn granted it to Elvis Del Zotto Limited in 1961, who transferred it to Valerie-Lina Limited in 1963. Valerie-Lina Limited operated Greenacre Farms on the property.

In 1979 the property was acquired by Dell Holdings Limited.

The house was illegally demolished in 1990 during redevelopment of the property.