A rare piece of Ontario history just hit the market for the first time ever

Long before Mississauga became the sprawling Ontario city it is today, a stretch of apple orchards west of Dixie Rd. and south of the QEW was considered an unlikely place to build homes.

But in January 1951, Toronto-based builder Gordon Shipp and his son Harold saw something others didn’t. The Shipp Corporation — already known for building houses in Toronto — paid $40,000 for 23 acres of raw agricultural land in what was then Toronto Township.

At the time, many thought the idea was a little wild. Who would want to live that far west? As it turned out, a lot of people. 

The “Shipp-Built” black glazed brick on the house. 

By spring 1952, the Shipps launched Applewood Acres with a marketing spectacle that sounded more like a carnival than a real estate rollout: a big tent, a PA system, and a team of ten salespeople.

The kitchen and breakfast nook with a door for milk delivery. 

The gamble paid off. They sold an unheard-of 126 model homes in just ten days and more than 800 overall, eventually building 853 houses in the neighbourhood and helping shape the early growth of what would become Mississauga.

A bedroom. 

At the time, it was the largest single subdivision built by a family developer in Canada, according to a story on Visit Mississauga. 

Another bedroom. 

Today, that legacy still lives on in the solid, family-focused homes scattered throughout Applewood — including one that’s just hit the market for the first time since it was originally purchased.

The primary bedroom. 

The home at 1021 Vera Cruz Dr. is a rare Shipp-built model home tucked onto a quiet street, and it’s been lovingly maintained by its original owners.

The front of the house. 

From the outside, the home leans into classic mid-century suburban charm, sitting on a large 56-by-120 foot lot with mature landscaping and plenty of breathing room between neighbours.

Retro wallpaper in one of the bedrooms. 

Inside is a bit of a time capsule.

One of two bathrooms. 

Groovy wallpaper, linoleum flooring and a wood-panelled rumpus room in the basement. 

The living room and dining area. 

But if you look past the dated features, you’ll see a bright, open-concept living and dining area with hardwood floors and a large picture window that floods the space with natural light.

The kitchen. 

The kitchen is small but functional. 

Another bedroom. 

Four spacious bedrooms are split between the upper and lower levels, creating a flexible layout.

The basement. 

Downstairs, a finished basement opens into a huge recreation room with dedicated office space. 

The spacious backyard. 

Outside, there’s an oversized double-car garage, extra-long driveway, and large, private backyard that add to the home’s practical appeal.

The second bathroom. 

And while the interiors leave plenty of opportunity for a new owner to modernize or lean into a full retro revival, the bones reflect exactly what made Shipp-built homes so popular in the first place: thoughtful layouts, sturdy construction, and a focus on livability that still holds up decades later.

The side of the house. 

In a neighbourhood born from post-war ambition, this listing feels like a quiet reminder of how Applewood first took shape, one solidly built home at a time.

The back of the house. 

The home is listed for $1,199,000.