Photos of Erchless Estate
About Erchless Estate
Erchless Estate is historically significant as the home to six generations of the Chisholm family, and from the 1830s to 1910 was the site of Oakville's Customs House. Col. William Chisholm (1788-1842), a prominent Burlington merchant and shipbuilder, purchased the property as part of a 388.5-hectare tract from the Crown in 1827 to establish a port, shipyard and town. Chisholm soon developed the port as the first privately owned harbour in Upper Canada, handling substantial trade from Hamilton, Toronto and foreign ports. Chisholm's harbour led to its designation as a Port of Entry in 1834, establishing the first permanent government presence in Oakville. -Parks Canada
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