The historical value of the Cawthra-Elliot Estate lies in its association with the Cawthras, one of the most powerful and wealthiest families in nineteenth century York (present day Toronto). The estate was built in 1926 for Grace Cawthra-Elliot and her husband, Colonel Harry Cawthra-Elliot. It is situated on a portion of the original 200-acre Crown grant offered to Joseph Cawthra in 1808, a Loyalist and Grace’s great-grandfather. The Cawthra family was important to the development of York. Grace’s uncle, William Cawthra, was reportedly the wealthiest man in Ontario at the time of his death in 1880. The Cawthras grew in prominence through their business and financial empire in York, yet always retained farmland in Mississauga that was eventually passed down to Grace Cawthra-Elliot. Grace was proud of her Loyalist roots, and sought to design and build a traditional English countryside estate that would reflect her family’s eighteenth century origins of Yorkshire, England. She referred to her estate as “Cawthra-Lotten”, because Joseph Cawthra received Lot 10, on which the house stands, as part of his 200- acre land grant. Grace lived at the Cawthra-Elliot Estate from 1926 until her death in 1974, at which point it was purchased by the City of Mississauga. It is now used for Civic purposes and the grounds are open for passive park use.
The Cawthra-Elliot residence is a fine example of the post-World War I Georgian Revivalist style, complete with five-bay front façade, a central Neo-classical door case flanked by pilasters supporting an entablature with sidelights, cornice returns and quarter-round gable windows. The exterior finish is stucco over solid brick.
