Looking southwest towards the corner of Bloor St W and St George St in the University of Toronto – St George Campus area.
The beautiful home shown in the archive photo was built in the early 1890s and designed by architect George M Miller for William Pratt. Mr Miller was known for designing several magnificent homes in the area and beyond, as well as commercial buildings, including the Gladstone Hotel.
In 1922, the land was expropriated, and the stately home was demolished later that decade to accommodate the widening of Bloor St W. By the late 1930s, after the expansion, the corner became the site of a cab stand and gas station.
Fast forward to the 1990s, when the Bata Shoe Museum was constructed at this location. This unique building, designed in the shape of a shoebox, was created by Moriyama Teshima Architects. The museum opened its doors on May 6, 1995, and features over a thousand shoes and related artifacts on display that span more than 4,500 years of history.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register:
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Oct 10, 1928, pg 21 (Bloor St W & St George St, southwest corner)
- Bata Shoe Museum
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
