Residences.

Details of Site Location: On Simcoe Terrace, a street that ran south off King Street east of Simcoe Street and Emily Street and west of York Street. Simcoe Terrace was lost as a street when University Avenue was extended

Boundary History: Simcoe Terrace was bounded on the east side by the street of the same name, on the west side by the backs of lots fronting on Emily Street, on the south by a much large building mid-block, and on the north by King Street.

Current Use of Property: The street vanished with the construction of the University Avenue extension.

Historical Description: John Fisken was a Scot who came to Toronto in the 1840s. At that time, he worked with Ross, Mitchell and Company and was living at 30 Bay Street, right next to the drygoods company that employed him. By the 1860s he had moved to another company, Stansbury and Company, wholesale merchants, but by 1862 had set up his own company at 58 Yonge Street. This company was advertising itself as Rock Oil and General Commission Merchants. Fisken’s success was such that he purchased a large estate in Deer Park, which was a feature of the 1878 atlas. His son entered the business and had a separate house in Deer Park. The Simcoe Terrace was constructed by J. Fisken and Company, and was a row of tiny townhouses on the west side of Simcoe Terrace. The houses were of brick, fifteen in all, and were numbered from 1 to 29. To the west was St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and to the east was the Academy of Music. On the west side of Simcoe Street was Government House, and across the street was Upper Canada College. No explanation is possible about the tiny houses with no front yards or back yards at such a prestigious location, but it can be assumed safely that the terrace had importance because of its location. The little houses may have served as residences for domestics serving in the important buildings in the area. The date of their construction and demolition is unknown at present, as permits for building were not required until the last decade of the 19th century. If the terrace lasted beyond the turn of the century, it was certain to have been lost with the extension of University Avenue, and with the construction of a large commercial building on the west side of the new street.

Relative Importance: John Fisken, and his son, John Kerr Fisken, were successful entrepreneurs who have been largely forgotten in the city’s history. Their business success, building ventures, and fine homes merit better attention.

Planning Implications: Professor Eric Arthur lamented the loss of so many terraces, which he regarded as a lovely and interesting feature of Toronto’s architecture. Fisken’s Terrace deserves some remembrance, as a terrace and because of its location; but further research is required, as no picture has yet been found of the houses. The Fisken estate in Deer Park and the Fisken warehouse, which was at 128 Esplanade East, offer locations that the terrace site cannot provide for plaquing purposes.

Reference Sources: Goad’s Atlas (1884, 1890, 1910); City Directories 1846 to 1890.

Acknowledgements:  Maps Project; Community History Project.