Description of Historic Place

The Leslie Log House is located at 4415 Mississauga Road, on the east side of the street, north of Highway 403, in the City of Mississauga. The one-and-a-half storey cedar log house was constructed in 1826.

The property was designated, by the City of Mississauga in 1994, for its architectural, cultural landscape and historical value, under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, By-law 330-94.

Heritage Value

The Leslie Log House is associated with the lifestyle of Mississauga's pioneer settlers, specifically the Leslie family. John Leslie, his wife Esther and their seven sons emigrated to Streetsville, Upper Canada from the parish of Rogart in Sutherlandshire, Scotland. They likely came at the urging of Esther's brother John Beattie who was one of the founders of Victoria College in Cobourg. The Leslie family leased 200 acres of land for 21 years from King's College before purchasing it; the log house was built by John Leslie on the southern half of the land. The land and structure remained in the family for 100 years. After passing through various owners the property and house came into the hands of Markborough Properties Ltd. who agreed to designate the house in 1978 and donate it to the City of Mississauga seven years later.

In 1994, the house was moved to its present location, on an apple farm dating to 1833, which is owned by the City of Mississauga. This enabled the Leslie Log House to be preserved in a compatible setting, rather than the industrial area that had developed around its original location.

Most of the Leslie children remained in the area; Robert Leslie was a master builder and is credited with buildings such as the William Barber House, Oliver Hammond House and Benares. George Leslie became successful in the Toronto area now known as Leslieville.

The Leslie Log House is a rare surviving example of an early nineteenth century log house. The one-and-a-half storey cedar log house, built in 1826, is rectangular in plan, measuring 26 by 36 feet, and consists of architectural features that distinguished it from other log cabins. The house was renovated in circa 1850 to 1860, to give it more of a Neo-Classical Style, with a wide central door framed by sidelights and an entablature above. Despite alterations, over the years, the integrity of the original structure has been preserved.

The side gable roof is low pitched and a small return of the eaves is evident at the gable ends. Two internally bracketed chimneys are located at either end of the main block. The original stone foundation was replaced with concrete when the house was moved in 1994. The walls of the house are constructed from rough hand-hewn squared logs with joints dovetailed at the corners and plaster chinking. The purlins of the second floor beams are visible along the facade and rear elevation, illustrating the log house method for building a second storey. Two 12 over 12 double hung sash windows flank the front door and similar fenestration, some nine over nine, appears in the rear and side elevations with nine paned casement windows in the gable ends. True to the early log house style, all mouldings are very plain.

Sources: City of Mississauga By-law 330-94; Heritage Status Report, City of Mississauga; Streetsville Historical Society Report, September 1994.

Character-Defining Elements

Character defining elements that contribute to the heritage value of the Leslie Log House include its:
- one-and-a-half storey rectangular log construction
- low pitch gable roof
- internally bracketed brick chimneys
- return eaves at the gable ends
- dovetailed log joints
- externally visible second floor beams
- Neo-Classical Style front entrance
- 12 over 12 pane windows on the facade
- 9 over 9 pane windows at rear and side elevations
- nine pane windows in the gable ends
- plain mouldings
- original wood trim