Evocative Images of Lost Toronto

[LowPolygon]

Amazing photo! I'm wondering if this building with the tower is the one that still stands (with billboard now instead of tower) at the Queen-King-Roncesvalles intersection. The location seems about right.

the building with the tower now looks like this, and (although i am no expert at dating late-Victorian architecture) it seems entirely possible that it was standing in this place by 1887.

 

[adma]

Circa 1885, according to the Inventory of Historic Properties.


http://www.tobuilt.ca/php/tobuildings_more.php?search_fd3=6795

 

[Anna]

Circa 1885, according to the Inventory of Historic Properties.


http://www.tobuilt.ca/php/tobuildings_more.php?search_fd3=6795

1884 Goad's

 

[AlexCorey]

BlogTO ran a feature on the old Park Hotel - built as a summer hotel in 1884, expanded 1885 by Thomas Scholes of the (lost) Scholes Hotel on Yonge Street.

http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/04/nostalgia_tripping_the_ocean_house_hotel/

 

[LowPolygon]

BlogTO ran a feature on the old Park Hotel - built as a summer hotel in 1884, expanded 1885 by Thomas Scholes of the (lost) Scholes Hotel on Yonge Street.

http://www.blogto.com/city/2010/04/nostalgia_tripping_the_ocean_house_hotel/

thanks AlexCorey and Anna. that's pretty much definitive proof that the hotel is indeed 'the building in the distance'...

 

[AlexCorey]

I noticed on the map above that St. Joseph's Convent is indicated where the present-day hospital is, and did some looking into the history of the site -

Sunnyside Villa, 1859

Sacred Heart Orphanage, 1907

Sacred Heart Orphanage, 1911

St. Joseph's Hospital, 1930

You can still see the first phase of the hospital building (shown above) from the Queensway - it's been retained, albeit tucked neatly within the larger complex.

While not in the news much today, the Sister's of St. Joseph made a number of interesting contributions to the city fabric, first downtown and subsequently in the former suburbs, throughout the early to mid-twentieth century.

 

[Edward]

Funny how many of Toronto's hospitals are a miss-mash of buildings from various generations somehow integrated into one.

 

[DSC]

Funny how many of Toronto's hospitals are a miss-mash of buildings from various generations somehow integrated into one.

Having worked in hospital in many locations I can assure you that this is the norm.

 

[DavidJamesTO]

That's building in phases for you. Building from scratch usually isn't an option.

 

[thecharioteer]

While not in the news much today, the Sister's of St. Joseph made a number of interesting contributions to the city fabric, first downtown and subsequently in the former suburbs, throughout the early to mid-twentieth century.

Including the site of Provincial office complex at Wellesley and Bay, once home to the Mother House (and St. Joseph's School is still across the street):

Nuns on Bay Street:

 

[LowPolygon]

Robert Forsyth, Canada Marble Works, King St. W., n. side, between Bay & York Sts, 1872

 

[LowPolygon]

Orange Parade, ca 1867, King St. E., looking e. from w. of Yonge St.

 

[LowPolygon]

Yonge St., looking s. from n. of Richmond St. November 7, 1914

 

[thecharioteer]

From the CIBC Archives: http://www.commerce-court.com/about/history/

 

[wmedia]

^ Fantastic pictures! Thank you for posting.