538 Lakeshore Road

The Gables (1892)

On June 30, 1892, W. McMaster purchased part of Farm No. 5 from John Angell. A clause in the deed of sale stipulated that the buyer was obliged to close the old Lakeshore Road along the water and to complete the new road, further north, passing behind the residences. This benefited McMacster since the public road would no longer separate it from its access to the lake. McMaster built on his land a summer residence with double gables and very wide balconies. In 1935 McMaster sold his property to C.B. Lang, Vice-President of the Dominion Steel and Coal Company. On November 27, 1935, in order to transform the house into a permanent residence, C.B. Lang applied for a permit to carry out major work, including a concrete foundation and a solarium, estimated at $10,000, a considerable sum for the time. He had the clapboard replaced by coarsely squared stone masonry in 1936. Lang named the property The Gables. Later, the property was passed on to Lang's son, John Austin. It remained in the family for more than 70 years, until 2009.
Near Lakeshore Road, the caretaker's lodge, converted into a garage, is a jewel of Queen Anne architecture, using the same architectural language as the main residence.

Former SPOI Plaque which was in front of the house: