A Toronto neighbourhood is named after a former Mississauga man who helped build one of the oldest log cabins in Ontario.
As the City of Mississauga celebrates Leslie Log House’s 200th anniversary this weekend, it is interesting to note the name’s connection to Toronto’s Leslieville neighbourhood.
Built in 1826, Leslie Log House is one of the oldest surviving log homes in Ontario and is a designated heritage property. The home is now located at 4415 Mississauga Rd. in Streetsville, but it was originally built just north of Derry Road in Meadowvale. In 1994, the house was moved to its current location.
Early Mississauga settlers, John Leslie Sr., his wife, Esther Beattie Leslie, and their children, built and lived in the home after they came to Upper Canada from Scotland.
The log house was built on the southern half of a 200-acre property the family leased from King’s College. The family later purchased the land, and it remained in the family for 100 years.
One of the Leslie sons, George Leslie, was the namesake for the east Toronto neighbourhood, Leslieville, according to Joanne Doucette’s book, Leslieville, published in 2016.
The Leslie family sailed to Canada in 1825, landing in Quebec in mid-May of that year, Doucette said. At that time George was 21 years old and already had a reputation as a “brilliant horticulturalist.”
John Leslie travelled alone first to the Meadowvale property in what was then Toronto Township, now Mississauga.
George and another son, Robert Leslie, stayed in Quebec and found jobs to help support the family. But when they joined the family in Meadowvale about a year later, they helped build the log house, Doucette said.
George and Robert didn’t stay long; after one winter, they moved to Toronto and opened a grain, seed and grocery store.
George later became a prominent Toronto citizen, a founder of the provincial exhibition, school trustee and Alderman. He started a large nursery, which became an informal public park, extending from just north of Queen Street to Ashbridges Bay. By the mid-1860s, the name Leslieville appeared in city directories, possibly encouraged by George Leslie, Doucette said.
Robert Leslie was a master builder and is credited with buildings such as the William Barber House, Oliver Hammond House and Benares, Canada’s Historic Places notes.
The 200th anniversary celebration for Leslie Log House is slated for this Saturday. In its 200-year history, the property changed hands many times. In 1994, the house was moved to its present location as the Meadowvale area had become mostly industrial.
The one-and-a-half storey cedar log 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, according to Canada’s Historic Places. Despite alterations over the years, the integrity of the original structure has been preserved.
Leslie Log House is seen in this 2016 INsauga.com file photo. Photo: Wil Yeung
“The building is a rare example of early 19th century log construction,” the City of Mississauga says.
Operated in partnership with the Streetsville Historical Society, the house offers visitors a glimpse into life in early Upper Canada and serves as an important reminder of Mississauga’s rural and agricultural roots, the city says.
The celebration on Saturday, Aug. 8 runs from 1 to 3 p.m. and is free.
For more information, see the post here.
Lead photo of Leslieville: Google Maps
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