Talbot Duplexes 1747-1749 to 1783–1785 Bayview Avenue The ...

Talbot Duplexes 1747-1749 to 1783?1785 Bayview Avenue

The Case for Listing and/or Designation

Background On the east side of Bayview Avenue, between Eglinton and Parkhurst Avenue, there are ten double duplexes "quadraplexes" containing a total of 40 units. These homes are located in the heart of the vibrant community known as Leaside. Leaside is named for William Lea, a 19th Century immigrant to Upper Canada who purchased property in the area, and his family.

Branching out from its early agricultural roots, Leaside became an industrial hub during the First World War. Residential development was spurred in the 1930's by landowner and builder Henry Howard Talbot. Much of the development and success of Leaside is owed to Talbot, a former Mayor who enjoyed much popularity when he took office in the late 1930's. Talbot's name resonates throughout the community. His legacy is the diverse, desirable community thousands of Leasiders call home today.

Always a prominent property owner and taxpayer in the area, Talbot purchased tracts of land from York Land Company around 1928 in order to build and sell individual houses. By the mid 1930's he was building apartments, including the double duplexes. Talbot built quadraplexes at 1747-1785 Bayview Avenue (Plan number 1908 and Lots 383/384) in 1934-1935. The earliest available property tax records for the quadraplexes, according to City of Toronto Archives staff, are from 1942. Throughout the 1940's, Talbot was listed as the owner of these properties. His tenants were almost exclusively whitecollared professional married couples, 30 to 50 years of age. They were engineers, physicians, insurance agents, accountants, clerks, and store and bank managers. Most households in the Talbot quadraplexes were 2-4 people. This setting seemed ideal for newlymarried couples starting a family, couples without children, or couples whose children had grown up and moved out.

Heritage Assessment The criteria set out by the Ontario Heritage Act (OHA) for listing and/or designation1 are as follows:

1 Listing a property "allows Heritage Preservation Services to review development and building applications affecting those properties. It also requires the owner to

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1. The Property has Design Value or Physical Value 2. The property has Historic Value or Associative Value 3. The property has Contextual Value The property has to meet only one of the three criteria to be eligible for listing. The following is a preliminary assessment of the Talbot quadraplexes relative to the OHA criteria:

1. Design Value or Physical Value The Talbot quadraplexes include excellent examples of both Georgian and Tudor Revival architectural styles representative of their time. They are double duplexes, which are an unusual architectural form. The spacious, gracious interiors exhibit fine craftsmanship rarely found today. Also important to note is the extensive use of red brick, typical of Leaside; however one of the buildings has yellow brick, which is less typical of the area.

2. Historic Value or Associative Value The Talbot quadraplexes are intimately associated with Henry Howard Talbot and the former municipality of Leaside, The Town of Leaside existed from the time of initial development by the Canadian Northern railway in 1913 until Leaside's amalgamation with East York to form the Borough of East York in 1967. These residences were built and owned by Henry Howard Talbot, a significant figure in the history of Leaside. Talbot moved to 8 Parkhurst Boulevard2 in 1934, which must have allowed him to personally oversee the building, operation, and maintenance of his properties. Talbot became Mayor in 1938 and served in office until 1947. He was considered a visionary, someone who warned of the financial dangers that overdevelopment of residential areas might pose. Under his leadership Leaside grew responsibly into the prosperous, livable community it is today.

3. Contextual Value As J.I. Rempel wrote in 1982, "the town of Leaside was unique in Ontario for two reasons ? it was the only town which was planned, to

give the City 60 days notice of his or her intention to demolish the property." Designation refers to "legal status on a property by a specific city by-law under the Ontario Heritage Act and gives City Council the legal authority to refuse an application that will adversely affect the property's heritage attributes." Heritage Preservation Services, City of Toronto

2 8 Parkhurst Boulevard ? The 1942 property tax records for Leaside indicate an HH Talbot, aged 48 years, living at the aforementioned address. This property is not currently listed or designated.

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my knowledge, in complete detail before a single building was erected and which lived, prospered, and succeeded admirably in fulfilling its design functions."

Leaside prospers and succeeds because it is a unique and harmonious blend of residential and commercial land use on a pedestrian-friendly scale. Leaside has always been known for an appropriate balance of different types of housing and land use. Leaside offers many different residential and shopping options, excellent schools, and recreational facilities, with a vibrant commercial hub at Eglinton and Bayview Avenues. The Talbot quadraplexes were and are an integral part of the community. Their central and prominent location on Bayview Avenue, adjacent to a lively commercial strip means they offer convenience to residents.

Charles Clay in "The Leaside Story" wrote "Leaside is rich in homes ? they are the heart of Leaside ? they take two forms, houses and apartment suites, and houses predominate."

Conclusions/Recommendation The Talbot quadraplexes are a prime candidate for protection and preservation in the form of Listing and Designation.

The Talbot quadraplexes were constructed, and continue to be rental accommodation. Destroying them would no doubt disrupt the unique character of this residential and commercial neighbourhood that has thrived for decades, while at the same time removing the option of quality apartment living for many. In the age of massive condo developments, where space is at a premium and units are extremely small, options for those desiring to live in low density apartments as part of a distinct neighbourhood are seriously limited.

It is noted that some other Talbot built properties have been identified in Leaside and have been protected recently, the Talbot apartments between Sutherland and just south of McRae on the east side of Bayview.

Going Forward Associative value related to occupants After examining property tax records from the 1940's and 1950's, the only significant name that "jumped off the page" was that of Beth Nealson, a former Mayor of Leaside. However this potential would warrant some additional research and inquiry.

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Rental Housing While not a heritage consideration, it is noted that the Talbot quadraplexes are excellent examples of high quality, low-density rental housing. Such housing is valued and in high demand. The city of Toronto has a bylaw in place requiring any loss of rental housing to be replaced in situ.

Sources Pitfield, Jane. Leaside. Toronto: Natural Heritage, 1999.

Rempel, J. I. The Town of Leaside. Toronto: East York Historical Society, 1982.

City of Toronto Archives Property Tax Records. 1942 ? Plan 1908, Book 2, Box No. 195 627. Lots 384 and 383.

City of Toronto Heritage Preservation Services FAQ: Search Heritage Inventory of Heritage Properties:

Google Earth Street View nto&xhr=t&q=1781+Bayview+A Avenue+Toronto&cp=4&client=firefox-a&hs=aje&rls=org.mozilla:enUS:official&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1429&bih=734&um=1&ie=U TF-8&sa=N&tab=wl

Prepared by Clarice Dale North York Historical Society June 8, 2011

Geoff Kettel North York Community Preservation Panel August 2011

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