ROMwalk – THE ANNEX
ROMwalk – THE ANNEX
Welcome to ROMwalk – a free outreach program provided by volunteers of The Royal Ontario Museum for over 30 years.
This walk is of The Annex. It will take between 1 ½ to 2 hours, and we will finish on Walmer Road just west of Spadina Rd. near the Spadina subway station.
There are two housing styles which are unique to Toronto, and the supposed prototypes of both of these styles are on today’s route.
The initial portion of our tour was not called The Annex historically but was part of the Village of Yorkville, which was incorporated in 1853. The City annexed Yorkville thirty years later, in 1883.
1. One Bedford, KPMB and Page and Steele. 2010?
32 story glass and limestone structure rises from an 8 storey podium which steps down to 5 storeys as it approaches Bedford
Incorporates the rebuilt Georgian façade of the design studio of architect John Lyle. Façade was relocated from another location on the site
This is a “better than nothing” example of preservation of heritage buildings in Toronto sometimes called “facadism” or “facadomy”.
Lyle was born in Ireland and came to Canada as a young child in 1878
Lyle grew up in Hamilton and attended the Hamilton School of Art.
He trained as an architect at Yale University, enrolled in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris and after his graduation found work in New York
Lyle returned to Canada in 1905
During the 1920s, Lyle strove to develop a uniquely Canadian architectural style, incorporating native flora and fauna and other Canadian iconography in his designs.
Lyle’s best-known works are the Royal Alexandra Theatre, completed in 1907 in the Beaux-Arts style, the original Stock Exchange and Union Station
2. 23 Prince Arthur, Women’s Art Association of Canada, 1874
In 1886, Mary E. Dignam gathered together women artists to exchange ideas and hone their painting skills
In 1907 this Association of artists was officially incorporated by an act of Parliament
This house was purchased in 1916 by the Association
Many distinguished Canadian artists were active members including Emily Carr, Frances Loring, Florence Wylie and others.
A supportive friendship existed between the Association and the Group of Seven. A.Y. Jackson and Arthur Lismer were honorary members.
The Association is a registered charity that continues to extend scholarships to post-secondary arts students at selected Ontario colleges.
The building is now used for art shows, concerts, lectures, special events and contains studio space which is rented to artists.
3. 20 Prince Arthur, Uno Prii, 1965
22 story neo-expressionist apartment building
During the period from the late 1950s to the 1970s, the Estonian born Prii designed approximately 250 projects in Toronto, many of which were apartment buildings
These structures evoke thoughts of the future, the Jetsons and flying cars
Prii’s buildings were clean, white and modern, with a covered drive and a fountain.
Prii said the inspiration for this apartment with its flaring base was the flying buttresses of medieval cathedrals.
The style of these buildings fell out of fashion in the 1980s and started to appear on some ugliest building lists but today are once again finding favour
We will see more of Prii’s work later in the tour
4. Untitled Sculpture, 38 Avenue Rd., 1999
On our left, the archway entrance frames the view of the courtyard of The Prince Arthur condominium.
The granite sofa is a public art sculpture by artists Mark Gomes and Susan Schelle who have collaborated on a number of works
The courtyard and sculpture also creates a wonderful terminating view from Yorkville Ave.
5. 9 Lowther, 1876.
style is Gothic Revival, a Victorian cottage type
a 2-storey, roughcast stucco over frame
asymmetric, L-shaped with front door in the side veranda
steeply pitched roof which is chamfered (cut square at the bottom) on both sides of the wall dormers (dormers that are not in the roof but an extension of the wall)
the sharply pointed front gable is edged with decorative bargeboard with a finial inside its peak
1-storey bay at the front has its roof decorated with iron cresting
paired windows in the bay are tall and slender with rounded tops
two dormers have similar style but single windows
built by Albert Locke, a carpenter, for his own use
has had few owners and some changes, but always maintained rather than restored
6. 23, 25 & 29 Lowther, 1875.
style of all three originally Gothic Revival
25 and 29 less drastically changed - stucco over frame
sharply pointed gable roof as central axis between them
property line runs up middle of carriageway, which apparently was originally doored
above the driveway is an unusual oriel window (a bay which starts above ground level) which opens into a room in #25 only
property line jogs on second floor so that a room at back overlooking the long garden belongs to #29
house built by immigrant who came from East Anglia, England
Let’s consider how Yorkville developed. A tollgate to tax farmers bringing produce to the Town of York existed at Yonge and Bloor in the early 1800s. Two hotel/taverns were built along the routes leading to it – the Red Lion on Yonge and the Tecumseh Wigwam on Bloor. Then in the early 1830s two breweries were started on creeks crossing Yonge, followed by three brickyards. Workers in all these establishments built homes nearby. Later craftspeople, and then a sprinkling of professionals came, as there was space for gardens and orchards here and it was healthier for families. In the crowded downtown area many people, especially children, died in waves of cholera. It was convenient here for commuters because starting in 1849 there was regular omnibus service to downtown. Later many grand houses appeared (e.g. where Park Hyatt is now, at Avenue Road and Bloor, the 1820 Wigwam was torn down in 1874 and a Nordheimer mansion built which stood until the 1920s). Although the earliest houses were modest and self-built these grander houses were often designed by architects, such as the important double house we will see next.
7. 30 and 32 Lowther, Grant & Dick, 1875
semi-detached (double) house built for families named Struthers and Ross.
mix of Gothic and Italianate features. #30 has remained closer to the original – they were originally mirror images.
2 ½ storeys of local buff brick
projecting polygonal end bays
recessed central area has shed roof over entry (went over both doors originally)
single door 1/3 glazed, side and transom lights
long veranda at side with shed roof and plain wooden supports, originally looking over a sizeable garden area
gable with decorative bargeboard
windows are 2/2 panes, double-hung sash (top half slides down, bottom half slides up)
rounded segmented brick arches over the windows
Although both houses are considered “Heritage”, some changes were made to #32 even before 1900.
in 1898 a brick addition was added at the rear (architects Bond & Smith)
later the front door and the inside staircase were moved to the side
a dormer was inserted in the roof at the front
porch is now closed in with an altered shape
two unusual semi-circular, shingle clad dormers added on west side
This double house is not the oldest example of its style in Toronto, but because it was designed by architects Grant and Dick and built here for important families it is now considered the prototype of the typical Toronto “Bay’n’Gable”.
8. 50 Lowther, 1878
The next house we see was built just outside the original Yorkville boundary while Yorkville still legally existed.
large yellow building, exterior not much changed
built for large family of eldest son of pioneer Baldwin family that earlier owned much of adjoining land that is now Annex
interior renovated about twenty years ago into nine separate units
Earlier Bloor Street was the northern limit of the City of Toronto. North of Bloor the Village of Yorkville gradually spread from approximately Sherbourne almost to Bedford. The area between Bedford to the present Brunswick Avenue did not have a name. West of Brunswick Avenue was the Village of Seaton.
In 1883 the City of Toronto annexed Yorkville. In 1886, in anticipation of future annexation of the area west of Yorkville, developer Simeon Heman Janes bought the land from the Baldwin family (of Spadina). He planned the first professional class suburb – meant for academics, upper civil servants, professionals, and prosperous merchants or businessmen. That year, 259 lots were advertised for sale. By deed, no small houses, row houses or commercial buildings were allowed in the suburb - single and semi-detached houses or churches only. Then in 1887 the City annexed the area west to Kendal, and the next year as far west as Bathurst (this included part of Seaton), between Bloor and Davenport. The Annex is NOW considered to be Bloor to Davenport from Avenue Road to Bathurst.
Most of the homes in the Annex were constructed in a short time between 1888 and 1905 resulting in a homogeneous streetscape with larger houses. You will also notice:
there are no back lanes
most streets run N/S with 25 foot frontage
a common set-back, open lawns, sidewalk and wide boulevard with trees – an unbroken vista like a park with just a narrow road.
height line of roofs is same
similarity of colours and materials – plum or pink sandstone from the Credit River area and red brick and terra cotta from the Don Valley
9. Society of Friends, 60 Lowther, Curry, Sproat & Rolph, 1906
designed by in Georgian Revival style
not completely symmetrical as ground floor has a bay at front, and west side of house is built out to take advantage of garden vista
so a not quite typical Georgian red brick cube with contrasting light coloured wood and stone details
2 ½ storey
5 bays, with central formal entrance within a classical portico
Roman (not fluted) Doric (simplest style) columns holding up a flat roof
frieze with triglyph decoration just below portico roof
windows all double hung sash with typical Georgian detail of many panes (in Georgian times not possible to make large panes of glass) - ground floor 9 over 9, second floor 6/6, dormers 3/6
note ashlar stone keystones and sills,
3 dormers
brick quoins (originally a building reinforcement) at corners of building
cornice below roof has large modillions (rectangular pieces suspended from cornice)
built for Miller Lash, prominent barrister and businessman, as his modest city house
later tenants after sale by his heirs, included from 1944 – 1946, Bishop William C. White – first Curator of ROM’s Chinese collection
bought by Society of Friends (Quakers, who help others in times of crisis), and a large addition added in 1969/70 at back, for meetings (John Leaning)
used as a place of refuge, and also for many like-minded peaceful organizations
10. Taddle Creek Park
Taddle Creek starts as natural spring near St. Clair and Bathurst.
originally, it meandered south-east to enter lake Ontario near foot of Parliament, sometimes changed course slightly
presence of the creek meant that a few areas in Annex had to remain empty of buildings, such as here, and it created problems elsewhere e.g. for Park Plaza Hotel or the planned College Park office tower
to save money, Village of Yorkville dumped their sewage into the creek
following Yorkville’s annexation in 1883, the Creek was covered. It can be heard gurgling below grates under Philosophers’ Walk
Taddle Creek Park has recently undergone reconstruction after years of community lobbying for improvement.
The park’s new centrepiece is a sculpture by Nova Scotia–based artist Ilan Sandler, entitled The Vessel. The design won a city-run juried competition. The work consists of 4 kms of stainless-steel rods that have been welded into the shape of a 5.7-metre-high jug. According to the plaque, the length of the rods is the approximate distance that Taddle Creek runs from here to Lake Ontario. Water will be pumped to the rim of the jug, where it will be released to splash down the rods.
11. 75 Lowther, Edmund Burke, 1892
house is a mix of Victorian Romanesque and Gothic Revival styles
built for a lawyer
cladding of stone, brick, terra cotta tiling, and painted square-patterned plaster work
side entrance, probably had a circular driveway and gardens at the side
used by Baptist Women’s Missionary Society
(Edmund Burke helped design Baptist Theology College built on Bloor, which later became McMaster University when Baptists decided not to come under U of T umbrella, and, after McMaster U moved to Hamilton, then became the Royal Conservatory of Music)
owned again by lawyers, and has been restored
12. 78 Lowther, George Miller, 1899
was built for one of those prominent merchants, Edward Y. Eaton, vice-president of father Timothy Eaton’s department store
Timothy Eaton’s house was not far away – further along Lowther at Spadina
this was originally a coach house for horses
built in style of country estates then being built in Britain with classical touches, called Palladian (after Andrea Palladio - Italian architect of 1500s)
coach house building much changed - now a number of apartments
The fraternity house at the corner also was once owned by the Eaton Family
Link: We will go around the corner to see a building that would have been acceptable to Simeon Janes’ Annex.
Note: from here you can see the side of the former Palladian coach house and that the top has a cupola. This provided ventilation for Eaton’s horses.
13. 196 St. George St., S.S. Beman, 1916
Opposite us is First Church of Christ, Scientist built on a large, tranquil site
Neo-Classical Revival style called Beaux-Arts (the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris was then the famous training school for all architects worldwide)
S.S. Beman of Chicago introduced this style with much success at the 1893 World’s Fair – the “White City of Roman buildings” in Chicago
inside is a large, white, simple central space that is a symmetrical domed auditorium rising over 50 feet to a large skylight
exterior of local pressed brick and artificial stone
leaded glass windows are of imported opalescent glass
grand entrance foyer, in a symmetrical building that is massive and austere
impressive fluted (Greek) Doric columns
paired symmetrical light standards of the time
absence of religious symbols – ideals of Christian Science suggested by feeling of permanence, simplicity and peace (have no clergy but an elected pair of readers usually a male and a female for 3-year terms, way of life is Christian, salvation thought to be freedom from sin and disease)
congregation started in Toronto in 1886 by Isabella Stewart from Chicago who began healing though prayer – attracted many prominent people
Link: Homes built on St. George were substantial, designed by prominent architects for important people. Businessman and bankers lived on St. George, and because the lots were larger, developers snapped some up when the Bloor subway was being built for mass housing such as the apartments we are about to see.
14. 190 St. George St., Joseph Medwecki, 1972
style is Late Modernism
maintains modernist roots in that no historical details added however not bland, repetitive, box-like as some International Modern apartment buildings like those across the street Indicate.
most often bold composition with exposed concrete as here, sometimes exposed steel
neither base nor top articulated, all facades same
continuous horizontal line of balconies is dramatic, they appear to defy gravity
transparent glass walls contrast with balcony projections
smaller footprint, sited graciously on well-landscaped lot
lobby and elevators at centre ringed by fewer suites/people per floor
more attractive units, especially for entertaining, than those in box-like buildings
quality materials
called a “mid-rise point tower” - between 8 to 12 storeys, angular rather than rectangular shape with generally a more ornamental manner of structural components, often designed by younger architects using Modern style
15. 182 St. George St., Eden Smith & Son, 1910-11
Arts and Crafts “cottage type” by Eden Smith
Built for Harris L. Hees whose family was in the window shade business
The front of the house is stone with a classical portico but there are ribbons of leaded glass windows and the sweeping roof of the cottage style
The side of the house shows the Tudor origins of the cottage with its stucco and half timbers
Additional and more typical cottage style houses designed by Eden Smith can be seen on our Wichwood Park ROMwalk
Link: We will now look at the more recent commercial building next to the subway entrance
16. RCYC, 139 St. George St., Crang & Boake, 1984
this is winter quarters of Royal Canadian Yacht Club built in 1984
designed by Crang & Boake in Post Modern style
means some traditional elements of past re-introduced into symmetrical and/or formal-looking modern style, sometimes colourful or playful
height and pointy gables echo original houses of area (or sails in the wind?)
projections in façade, broad courses of alternating red brick and stone
stone posts and wrought iron fence are remnants of wall that surrounded two adjoining yards (the original house here was for a Gooderham son-in-law also designed by David Roberts Jr.) as they shared the garden between them
Link: Again another complete change for our next stop – the grandest house in the area of probably the richest man in Ontario at that time
17. York Club, 135 St. George St., David Roberts Jr., 1889-92
House built for George Gooderham
Considered Architect Roberts masterpiece
a majestic asymmetric Richardsonian Romanesque style
chunky, solid, harmony of colours but variety of materials – red rock-faced ashlar sandstone, brick, terra cotta
quite massive but relatively simple strong geometric forms
above a double-arched main entrance is high, wide gable with arrangement of deep windows, pilasters, arches and a balcony under its peak
at the north end is a porte-cochere
at the south is a pinnacled tower, note curved glass in windows
the roof is high with copper touches and very tall chimneys
many organic (i.e. living) carvings - of heads (e.g. by house number), animals such as lions and dragons (lizards?), and Byzantine foliate (leafwork)
Gooderham inherited what became the largest distillery in the British Empire but as well as being a whiskey baron, he invested in Canadian banks, railroads, real estate
David Roberts Jr. also designed the Flat Iron Building for Gooderham’s office downtown, and most of the manors of that extended family (George had 11 children and was brother to 12)
after George’s death in 1905 widow had difficulty selling this house
eventually bought by York Club in 1908, many of members of this exclusive club had been peers of the Gooderhams and lived in area
1910-11 Darling & Pearson added large two-story veranda in classical style on south side overlooking garden, but since same red stone used for this dining room arcade addition is compatible
first secular institution tolerated in Annex!
Link: After this, in the 1910s and 1920s, commerce started appearing along Bloor - doctors’ examining and waiting rooms were opened in some other large mansions. The need for more of these facilities prompted the building across the street, the first tall building in the area.
18. Medical Arts Building, 170 St. George St., Marani, Lawson & Paisley, 1929
this was Medical Arts Building and was first building in Toronto specifically for medical offices
symmetrical with regular window placement on south and east sides,
in Classical Revival style of light coloured stone, buff brick, and some marble and bronze trim
building massive but appears less so because of clever use of drawing the eye sideways (horizontal courses) and by the staggered indent shape
entrance has modest classical Doric columns and there are further classical details in the lobby
notice further exterior classical details such decorative garlands and medallions over some windows, especially at the stepped-back 7th level, the pilasters that rise over the 8th and 9th levels, and the balustrades and urns at the roofline
purchased by U of T in 2002 and is now the Jackman Humanities Building
19. Bata Shoe Museum, 327 Bloor St. W., Raymond Moriyama, 1995
The Bata Shoe Museum began as Sonya Bata’s personal passion for shoes.
Bata had been collecting shoes since the 1940's and in 1979 her collection had grown too large for her own private storage space so the Bata family established the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation and in 1995 the shoes moved to this building.
The shape of the 5 storey building is meant to suggest a lid sitting on an open shoe box
The exterior walls are clad in limestone from France
Inside, Moriyama has made frequent references to the shoemaker’s craft with leather used in signage and at the reception desk and display images of workshops and tools.
The museum houses more than 10000 shoes, boots and sandals spanning 4500 years including those worn by North American Indigenous people, shoes representing every age of Western fashion, shoes from every corner of the world and even shoes from the 'Walk of Fame' worn by everyone from John Lennon and Marilyn Monroe to Donovan Bailey and Pablo Picasso.
20. Bloor St. United Church, 300 Bloor St. W., William R. Gregg, 1889-90
Originally Bloor St. Presbyterian Church
Small gothic revival church was too small for congregation by the time it was completed.
Church was enlarged by Wickson & Gregg in 1908-09 and altered by them again in 1927.
The current church is constructed of stone with gothic features such as pointed arched windows and buttresses.
The square tower is topped by 4 pinnacles
A Korean congregation shares this space
Link: Madison Avenue, largely completed between 1888 and 1914, is a monument to the Victorian’s intelligent use of architecture and planning to achieve pleasant residential surroundings.
21. 14, 16 & 18 Madison Ave.
(Note: you don’t need to say all this – but it is a good place to mention Annex Residents’ Association, and that perceived threats from time to time in area mobilized the residents.)
#14 (owned by Dave and Isabel Manore) was going to be expropriated for University Subway Line (along Spadina) because one corner of the basement was a few inches over the cutoff
they were members of the Annex Residents’ Assoc. - which started in 1923, formalized in 1928, and worked together whenever the Annex was threatened
successfully fought this expropriation
many members/friends were being hosted in the Manore’s rec room “pub” for some years
decided to open to public April 1983 then added piano bar on main floor, then non-smoking bar elsewhere, later billiards
There are also a number of outside patios like in Europe or the Islands (some heated)
now can accommodate conferences, meetings
#16/18 is an example of a Queen Anne double house where both sides are dissimilar.
We will see several more of these typical Annex double houses as we proceed north on Madison.
Note – you can point out the variety of decoration such as basket weave terra cotta, fish scale tiles, egg and dart trim
#20 originally built by carpenter – more use of wood than most - now run as Boutique Hotel
22. 25 Madison Ave., Paul Martel, 1981
In the 1970s Toronto had a City Council that was concerned with developers tearing down older buildings thereby changing communities. This progressive Council actually took action
Nine houses, some here on Madison and some behind on Huron, were bought in 1973 for $800,000.00 and Cityhome, Toronto’s non-profit housing corporation, was created to own and run them as rental properties
after the houses were restored architect Paul Martel completed a 4 storey infill project with 12 units in it down the lane at #25 in 1981
23. “The Annex” House, 37 Madison Avenue, E.J. Lennox, 1888
this first i.e. earliest house on Madison was designed by E.J. Lennox (who was building the Old City Hall at the time) for Lewis Lukes, his contractor
3 storey, each clearly defined, becoming less heavy and broken up in appearance as go up
ground floor – heavy basement of ashlar faced stone, then sandstone ½ way up, then basket weave brickwork above
2 rounded brick arches form porch entrance
main window single pane, with round-arch fanlight with square pattern border – Queen Anne style
next storey – on right –a gable rises above a few rows of corbelling as well as a row of modillions
in it terra cotta tiles cover both sides of the double sash windows
other side has open porch with parapet (wall not solid), could be used for sleeping
top floor – right side – another open porch with half timbering, woodwork
left side – a small turret with hung tiles is a dormer in the sloped roof
thus bulk and solidity of Romanesque balanced by lighter touches of Queen Anne, so get stability with fashion all on 25 foot lot, for owner that would appreciate combination
inside planned for comfortable living with good quality as if a grand mansion
cool, dark, semi-private porch leads to small central hall which reaches up, opening on each floor
this stair hall provides good light inside at each level
all glass used is of good quality, whether stained, leaded or plain
are wooden floors often in different pattern types, also oak paneling and fireplaces
family homes – servants came daily by streetcar, not live-in
this became the trendsetter – the prototype Annex home
(note – can take people up on porch area to peek out open window to see if coach coming – servant having been sent to get it from stables – would also be a stone step at curb)
24. 47 Madison Ave., Eden Smith, 1903
This is another English Cottage style house designed by Eden Smith
Asymmetric style with some white stucco as well as brick, and smaller windows and homier appearance
Much plainer home than the Hees house we saw on St. George by the same architect.
Link - Our next stop is something that Simeon Janes did not want in the area.
25. Spadina Gardens, 41-45 Spadina, A.R.Denison, 1905/06
One of the best of Toronto’s early apartments
Low scale, symmetry and Classical Revival details project a grandeur appropriate to this formerly prestigious residential neighbourhood
Four storeys, red brick with light stone trim
strong horizontal lines of channeled brick on ground floor, classical cornice, sill courses and balconies take the eye sideways rather than up so building does not seem much larger than surrounding houses
wide projecting polygonal bays also reflect area’s homes
Note SG (Spadina Gardens) etched in glass of front door, stone surrounds around the door, dentil molding under cornice and carved brackets supporting balconies with wrought iron railings.
oval windows over entrances, double sash elsewhere
early apartments had large rooms on one floor with fireplaces, back porches
later TV program about Casa Loma informed that Sir Henry Pellatt spent last days here with former chauffeur as caretaker
26. 85 Spadina Rd., Robert M. Ogilvie 1899, remodeled 1977 Adamson Assoc.
Queen Anne home was constructed for barrister Norman Gash
Toronto Historical Board and local Annex residents convinced the TTC to remodel and use this house as the north exit of the Spadina subway station rather than demolishing it
The house was placed on rails and moved to the rear of the lot while the subway was dug and then put back.
One of the Annex residents involved in saving this building was Jane Jacobs who lived nearby at 69 Albany Ave.
There is a large quilt installed in the subway. It is entitled Barren Ground Cariboo by Joyce Weiland
Link: Our next several stops will be on Walmer Road which follows the original, country road leading up to first Spadina House built by William Warren Baldwin in 1818 on the escarpment.
27. 53 Walmer Rd., Frederick H Herbert, 1898
eclectic mix of Richardsonian Romanesque/NeoClassic/Queen Anne
a grander Annex house as Walmer more upscale than some streets with smaller lots east of Spadina
three storey, asymmetrical with side hall plan, and semi-circular tower with a classical copper mushroom dome and finial on top balanced by a dormer on third floor
exterior materials usual brick, stone, terra cotta, wood, stained glass, curved glass but also Adamesque neo-classical pressed metal on tower, under eaves and on the pediment of the porch, some of which is painted
These pressed metal decorations could be purchased from a catalogue to produce a decorative effect at low cost.
pedestal porch roof supported by five sets of twinned Doric columns on brick piers
blue and white neo-classical detail on pediment reminiscent of Wedgewood
This house was built for John A. McKee, manager of Dodds Medicine Company, manufacturer of patent medicines like Dodds Little Liver Pills.
28. 44 Walmer Rd., Uno Prii, 1969
Apartment was designed with a circular theme with circular holes to admit light through the entrance canopy
Originally, the building’s most distinctive feature was the balcony railing design – curvilinear and circle-patterned. They were removed to allow balcony repairs to be made but the then owner decided to replace them with clear glass railings in July 2001 despite protests from tenants, neighbours, the architect's family and individuals in the architecture community
Note that 35 Walmer is also a Prii design.
29. Walmer Rd. Baptist Church, 188 Lowther, Langley and Burke, 1888 to 1892
The Walmer Road Baptist church was the largest Baptist Church in Canada when it was built, capable of hosting 1500 faithful
Gothic Revival red brick and stone building on stone foundation
steeple at south end consists of distinctive, battered, square, tapering stone tower with narrow lancet windows topped by an unusual brick belfry which has triple lancet openings on each side and square tourelles at each corner with a hexagonal roof that has copper seam
this is balanced on the north side of the entry by a stone and brick round tower with a copper roof
front brick façade has three Gothic-arched doorways with three large lancet window above topped with label mouldings (like eyebrows, keeps rain from rolling down)
these lancet windows and transoms above the doors display quatrefoil tracery
buttresses and more quatrefoil designs are seen on the south façade
at west end of south façade is a small tower largely of wood with a steeple
founded by Rev. Elmore Harris, generously funded by Massey-Harris
Link: Over the years, Walmer Rd. has been home to over 40 important writers including M.G. Vassanjii, Neil Bissoondath, Dennis Lee, Barbara Gowdy, Morley and Barry Callaghan and Philip Marchand amongst many others. Our next stop is named for a writer who was often seen in this park, one of her favourite places.
30. Gwendolyn MacEwan Park
Gwendolyn Margaret MacEwen (1 September 1941 – 29 November 1987) was a Canadian poet and novelist who published more than 20 books in her brief life.
MacEwen won the Governor General's Award in 1969 for her poetry collection The Shadow Maker and a number of other awards and prizes
She was awarded a second Governor General's Award posthumously in 1987 for Afterworlds.
Her writing has been translated into many languages including Chinese, French, German, and Italian.
This park was renamed Gwendolyn MacEwen Park in her honor in 1994.
On September 9, 2006, the bronze bust of MacEwen by her friend, sculptor John McCombe Reynolds, was unveiled.
In summary – the Annex was meant to be an area for academic and other professional and merchant class residents, with some lots set aside for religious institutions. Originally there were to be no commercial purposes.
When the Gooderham House was finally bought by the York Club (many members lived in the area) it opened the doors to commerce. In the 1920s moneyed people with automobiles moved further out to Forest Hill and North Rosedale. Some large houses were cut up into small units or run as rooming houses. In the 1950s with the Bloor Subway coming, developers bought in order to build apartment buildings. Then the planned Spadina Expressway almost destroyed the area. As the U of T expanded it expropriated houses south of Bloor and many frat houses and small business establishments relocated to this area.
However one hundred and twenty years later it is still essentially a middle class area that has a deep sense of community and is family-oriented with professionals including city planners, embassies, literary and other media types as well as professors and students. And through good times and bad it has still managed to maintain some of its unique architectural character.
Mention attractions to be seen currently at the ROM. Return group to Spadina and point out TTC subway stops to the north and south. Note that there is no TTC ticket taker in the north entrance and a token will be required to enter through turnstile. Those without tokens should go to south entrance.
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