Uninvestigated archaeological site.
Details of Site Location: At the northeast corner of Winchester Street, southeast of the Necropolis, on the property of Riverdale Park West.
Boundary History: Boundaries have been uninvestigated but must include the buildings and environs, approximately 3/4 acre to 1 acre.
Current Use of Property: A semi wild area planted with daffodils at the northeast corner of Riverdale Farm. Not threatened.
Historical Description: Don Vale House stood from the late 1840s to 1875 or ’76 at the edge of the Don Valley on the north side of Winchester Street (known as the plank road in the 1850s). It was erected as a house but quickly turned into a public house. A drawing of the building in 1848 shows a small rough wooden 1-1/2 storey building with an open shed at the side. By 1855, David Priest1y was the proprietor and named it Don Vale House. His closest neighbour was a widow named Moore, who lived a hundred yards away. From 1860 to 1865 John Hogg was the owner. A drawing of the property during his time shows a much larger building of wood with two additions – a barn for horses and a shed to the rear. This drawing also shows a bridge in front with a boat tied up at the bank. In 1865, George Fox, a slater and contractor, took over the business. He changed the name to the Fox Head Tavern. In 1870, Fox took his business elsewhere and left the buildings empty. By 1876 they were torn down.
The building was a sporting tavern where boxing contests, crude fighting, cockfights, and gambling were added to the usual drinking. It was a place where men went in the evening after their work, it being far enough removed from the centre of the city to give the patrons a walk. Winchester Street, prior to the opening of the Bloor Viaduct in October 1918, was a prominent route into Toronto, with Royal Drive on the east side of the Don River, and it ran up to Broadview and the tollgate at the Danforth. Many travellers and farmers on their way to market stopped at the Don Vale House before heading up the steep Winchester Street hill.
Relative Importance: The importance of the site is twofold: As an early 19th century site upon which nothing was built later, it offers a fine opportunity for an archaeological dig involving students and an excellent location for learning about tavern oriented activity in its period. There are very few sites of this type in Toronto where such knowledge can still be gained. Secondly, Don Vale’s historical significance supplied some justification for the decision by city planners, reporting on the Don Planning District in 1965/66, to apply the name Don Vale to the area bounded by St. James’ Cemetery, Parliament Street, Gerrard Street, Riverdale Park, and the Necropolis.
Planning Implications: The site should be left intact until archaeological investigation can be made. A plaque commemorating the establishment’s vital role on a once major thoroughfare and the nearby bridge would offer insights into the history of the area.
Reference Sources: John Ross Robertson, Landmarks of Toronto, Vol. III; George H. Rust D’Eye, Cabbagetown Remembered; Edwin C. Guillet, Pioneer Inns and Taverns; Cabbagetown Preservation Association, Touring Old Cabbagetown; City of Toronto Archives.