Government building and Lieutenant-Governor’s residence.
Details of Site Location: South of King Street and west of Simcoe Street.
Boundary History: The property occupied the entire block bounded by King, Simcoe, Wellington and John Streets. The house was positioned. roughly mid-block. There were also scattered outbuildings.
Current Use of Property: Roy Thomson Hall.
Historical Description: The first Building on the site was the home of Chief Justice John Elmsley, which had been built in 1798. Elmsley House became the first official residence provided by the government for Lieutenant-Governors or Governors, and was used until 1841. In 1862, it was destroyed by fire. Four years later, the firm of Gundry and Langley of Toronto was commissioned to design a new Government House. The three-storey house was designed in a modern French style, with a tower, steeply sloped mansard roof, and dormer windows. It was built of red brick and trimmed with Ohio limestone. The cornices and brackets were galvanized iron painted to look like stone. The main entrance with a large carriage porch of limestone, faced Simcoe Street. The drawing room on the first floor, and the state bedroom on the second floor, faced the lake over a large landscaped garden. The main reception hall was 65 by 21 feet with ornate plasterwork and heavy woodwork. Its floor was laid with Minton’s encaustic tiles in a rich design. The room was flooded with light from a very large window made by Joseph McCausland. Completed in 1870, the house cost $105,000 to build. Its first resident was John Beverley Robinson. In the meantime, the neighbourhood was gradually changing, and railroad tracks were getting closer to the house. After planning had begun for a new Government House, this one was sold in 1912 to the Canadian Pacific Railway which demolished it.
Relative Importance: As the official home of several Lieutenant-Governors, and for its great beauty and extraordinary history, this site deserves to be remembered, especially now that Ontario’s Lieutenant-Governor has no official residence or proper place to carry out state functions.
Planning Implications: It is recommended that a major and permanent display, including a picture of the building, a map of the extensive grounds, and a history of the occupants and events that took place there, be mounted at Roy Thomson Hall, preferably where the public has the fullest access – on the exterior.
Reference Sources: City of Toronto Archives; Archives of Ontario.
Acknowledgements: Maps Project.