Bradley Museum

The two-acre Bradley Museum is located on the edge of Lake Ontario, nestled in a 70-year old maple grove. The site has accessible nature trails, connects to the Waterfront Bike Trail and is within walking distance of the Rattray Marsh. The Bradley Museum consists of four buildings, three of which are designated Ontario Heritage sites: 
  • The Anchorage, an Ontario Regency style cottage from the early nineteenth century; 
  • The Bradley House, a two-story saltbox-style farmhouse from 1830; 
  • A restored Port Credit log cabin from the mid 1800s; 
  • Barn from the turn of the last century.  
The Bradley House
This saltbox style farmhouse was built in 1830 by Lewis and Elizabeth Bradley, originally from Savannah Georgia. This United Empire Loyalist couple and their seven children lived here for 20 years. The marigold yellow and black house has classic qualities of the period. Originally restored by the Mississauga Heritage Foundation, the Bradley House opened to the public in 1967. The house still stands on the original land that was owned by the Bradleys.
 
After Lewis Bradley died in 1846, his wife sold the house. After several owners, the house and surrounding land was purchased by the British American Oil Company – now known as Suncor. It was slated for demolition in 1959 when local newspaper publisher, Kenneth G. Armstrong purchased the house and gave it to the Township of Toronto Historical Foundation (now known as the Mississauga Heritage Foundation) in early 1961. In the mid- 1960’s the house was moved further north on the property and fundraising and restoration of the house began with a team of volunteers and community activists.
 
The Anchorage
This Regency style cottage was originally built in the 1820s near Southdown and Lakeshore Roads. It was named “The Anchorage” by its second inhabitant, retired British Navy Commander John Skynner (1762 -1846) who settled in Upper Canada at Merigold’s Point in 1838, now a site of SUNCOR. The name Anchorage is believed to come from Captain Skynner's journal  where he wrote: ‘I have retired…Here I will rest; this is my anchorage’. Another source has claimed that Stephen Jarvis named the home Anchorage. Jarvis used a sandbar – which was located offshore of his property - to anchor merchant vessels bringing goods from York and Niagara. 
A key artifact In the Museums' collection is The Skynner Cup – a silver decorative urn given to Commander John Skynner by the residents of Malta. Hallmarks on the cup date to 1808; it was made by silversmith firm of James Ede and Alexander Hewat of London. The urn is decorated with a sculpted silver figurine of a woman clutching an albatross in one arm, a laurel wreath extended from the other hand, and surrounded by various nautical items.
 
Outbuildings
The driveshed, barn and outhouse are not original to the Bradley site; they were constructed using old wood from farms in the Peel Region.
 
The driveshed was constructed on the Bradley site in 1973 using wood found on the Carberry family farm located in Chinguacousy Township.  This farm is believed to have been bought by former Toronto Township Reeve Tom Jackson (died 2008) who gave the barn to the Town of Mississauga in 1971.  The style of the building is an Ontario vernacular with beam ceilings and post construction.
 
The barn was reconstructed using old planks of wood from a barn located at the southeast corner of Burnhamthorpe and Erin Mills Parkway.  The barn was reconstructed by Bruce Evans Ltd in 1977. The form of the building is classical Ontario vernacular and addresses the farming and rural past of Mississauga.
 
The Log Cabin at the Bradley Museum
The cabin, originally built in the mid-19th century, was moved to Port Credit in 1967 as the local Rover Crew’s Centennial Project.  It was used by the Rovers and the 4th Port Credit Scouts for many years until it fell into disrepair and was slated for demolition in 2002.  A community-led fundraising initiative led to relocation of the Log Cabin to its current site at the Bradley Museum complex.

Website: mississaugaculture.ca/museums

Type: Community Museum

Niqab

Niqab

The niqab shown here was worn by resident Zunera Ishaq during her Canadian Citizenship ceremony in October 2015.  Zunera gained international...