Tag Archives: toronto history

20161226. The Milburn building on Colborne Street – designed by the “master practitioner” of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture, E.J. Lennox (architect of Casa Loma and Old City Hall).

Completed in 1889, this five-unit building housed Milburn Co., a wholesaler of patent medicines and tenants who sold beer supplies, wine and liquor (from Toronto Architecture: A City Guide, 2nd edition).
Completed in 1889, this five-unit building housed Milburn Co., a wholesaler of patent medicines and tenants who sold beer supplies, wine and liquor (from Toronto Architecture: A City Guide, 2nd edition).

20161208. The nearly finished SQ Condominiums in #Toronto’s redeveloping Alexandra Park, contrast strongly but fittingly with the turn of the century mid-rise commercial buildings of Spadina Avenue.

20161208. The nearly finished SQ Condominiums in #Toronto's rede

20161128. The rich and varied architectural history of Toronto’s Jarvis Street.

The three row houses to the left (1862) were originally part of a Georgian eight-house row. The Second Empire features – mansard roofs and bowed bays – were added about 20 years later. The double house to the right (1874) is an example of Italiante architecture with round-headed windows and doors and bracketed cornices. Thanks to Patricia McHugh’s 2nd edition of Toronto Architecture: A City Guide.

20161106. The interesting and varied historic architecture of Spadina Avenue. From left to right: WJ Gage building, Darling Building, Tower Building, Reading Building, Fashion Building and The Morgan Condominiums (built 2002).

20161106. The interesting and varied historic architecture of Sp

20160404. East elevation of Toronto’s once Consumers Gas Co. Purifying House No. 2 and now the Canadian Opera Company’s Opera Theatre.

20160404. East elevation of Toronto's once Consumers Gas Co. PurArchitects Strictland and Symens, 1888, Renaissance Revival.

The building was designed in the style of an early Christian basilica with a clerestory roof. It may have been built as a self-supporting structure and simply placed on top of the building so that any explosion would raise it without destroying the walls (from the COC’s website).

20160312. All that remains of the 1928 Art Deco Loblaws Grocerterias Warehouse (Lakeshore and Bathurst, Toronto).

20160312. All that remains of the 1928 Art Deco Loblaws Grocerterias Warehouse (Lakeshore and Bathurst, Toronto). Photo20130804_0172-6DDon’t worry as they are going to be “re-establisng an original” by saving 100,000 bricks and stonework for the West and South faces with a couple of condo towers behind and an addition on top.

20160305. Rack House D, Building 42 at the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, a heritage-designated National Historic Site in Toronto.

20160305. Rack House D, Building 42 at the Gooderham and Worts DThis is a 6-storey masonry warehouse building that was used to store barrels of alcohol. Designed by David Roberts Jr and constructed between 1842-1851, it was built where the residence of James Gooderham Worts once stood. Archaeological evidence of this residence may survive underneath the building. Thanks goes to a Heritage Impact Assessment report by ERA Architects for the above information.