George Nelson Will bought this property in 1876. Unfortunately, he died three years later before improving the property. His daughter, Hannah Matilda, and her husband Benjamin Johnson built a house on this property in 1881 and farmed the land for many years. The address of the property was originally 185 Water Street East, but it later changed to 2349 Lakeshore Road (Burlington Historical Society 2004).
Lakeshore Road was first known as Water Street. The street ran along the shore of Lake Ontario spanning the distance from Hamilton to Toronto. At first settlers established farms on the street, then early developers such as W.D. Flatt built summer cottages and homes at the beginning of the 20th century. The Benjamin Johnson House represents one of the early farmhouses. It contributes to the heritage streetscape of Lakeshore Road and is a landmark situated at the corner of Lakeshore Road and Green Street which was a significant intersection for the old Village of Port Nelson (LACAC 1995).
Bonnie Woodley, 1940sOwnership of the home and property changed numerous times in the 20th century. The most noteworthy family that bought the house was the Woodley family. From 1941 to 1966, Harold Woodley and his family lived at this house while using the farmland to support their market garden business (Burlington Historical Society 2004).
Designated as having historical significance in 1995, the house is a great example of a 19th century vernacular farmhouse. It represents the early use of the lakefront for farming activities. The one-and-a-half-storey symmetrical building has unique front and side corners that are distinguished by ‘reliefed’ brick quoins, which are not often seen in Burlington (LACAC 1995).
