Our story begins in 1869...
Almost 150 years ago, Mississauga history was made.
Source: Collections Canada
Charlotte Schreiber
In 1869, the land now occupied by UTM came into the possession of the English artist and settler, Charlotte Schreiber. They constructed three houses on the land in 1878, but prior to completion, a temporary summer home was built. After the houses were complete, this home became a casual cottage for Charlotte, to complete her many works.
The exact building date is uncertain, however Jack Raymond, former UTM groundskeeper, once claimed to have seen a date inscribed in the stone foundations of the building, a weathered 1877.
If true, this makes the CSI House the oldest building on the UTM campus!
Inheritance by the University of Toronto Mississauga
In 1930, the Schreibers sold the land to Reginald Watkins, who remodeled the cottage extensively to match a more English aesthetic, and in 1963, Erindale College acquired the property, inheriting the cottage and Schreiber homes. The 'Artist's Cottage' moniker comes from the artist-in-residence program: UTM used the cottage as a residence for artists serving their term on campus. David Blackwood (1941-2022) occupied the Artist's Cottage from 1969-1975. He was appointed as the first Artist-in-Residence, and in 1992 the UTM Blackwood Gallery was officially opened and named in his honour.
Adoption by the Forensic Science Program
In 2009, due to the soaring popularity of the Forensic Science Program (and the decreasing potential for habitability of the house), the cottage was acquired by the program and adopted into the role of UTM’s Forensic Crime Scene Investigation House.
The house is now an opportunity for students to experience the investigation process firsthand, utilizing the benefits of a fully function residence. Although the majority of the house has been renovated to be fully functional, the basement has remained unfinished stone, mostly used for storage or the 'creepier' scenario recreations.
As of 2024, the CSI House will have been used for forensic training for 15 years!
More History!
Timeline of the Schreiber Estate on the Erindale (UTM) Property