Residence.
Details of Site Location: The west side of Sherbourne Street south of Shuter Street.
Boundary History: The house was within the boundaries of a 100-acre lot that ran from Richmond Street to Bloor and occupied approximately 5 acres, including the grounds. The house was 50 feet square.
Current Use of Property: The John Innes Community Centre, built in 1952.
Historical Description: Park Lot 5 was first granted to Surveyor General David William Smith, who lived in the Town of York for only a few years before returning to England, leaving his land holdings up for sale. William Allan (1772-1853) was born in Aberdeen-shire in Scotland. He emigrated first to Montreal in 1787, then to Niagara in 1788 or 1789, finally arriving in York in 1795. He was appointed postmaster and collector of customs, but his main work was running a store and outfitting the army. The store was looted by Americans in 1813. Allan had married Leah Gamble in 1809 and they first lived in a townhouse on Frederick Street. In 1827 he acquired Park Lot 5 and began building a large, square brick mansion of two storeys in the Greek Revival style. It had a low hipped roof, and the main entrance faced what is now Sherbourne Street. However, on the south side facing the gardens was a wooden portico of four three-quarter columns and a pediment. A two-storey service wing extended north from the house, and beyond it was a kitchen garden and orchards. The main floor of the house was meant for entertaining, with a large drawing room 19.5 by 26 feet, and a dining room 18 by 24 feet. The house was reputed to have cost $3,248 to build and the same amount again to furnish. In 1834, John George Howard was retained to make additions and changes to the house. Allan, obviously, was very successful in business and in politics and he was a member of both the Legislative and Executive Councils, and President of the Bank of Upper Canada. He and his wife had eleven children; however, all but one son died before reaching adulthood. Their son, George Allan, took over the family home and in 1854 began selling lots. Most of the Moss Park lots were sold by 1894. George died in 1901 and the city bought the house and demolished it.
Relative Importance: The Honourable William Allan was one of the city’s more important business and political figures. The Allan generosity to the city is also worthy of remembrance.
Planning Implications: In plaquing this site, a point should be made (in order to clear up misconceptions) that the Moss Park Armoury does not stand on the site of the house, but rather the much later John Innes Centre, where a plaque would be properly placed. It is not likely that much remains to be unearthed by archaeologists, but, given the early date of the house, the site should be flagged for investigation to the point of a definitive report.
Reference Sources: City of Toronto Archives; Toronto Reference Library; John Ross Robertson, Landmarks of Toronto.
Acknowledgements: Maps Project.