Looking towards the northeast corner of Church St and Richmond St E, in the Old Town, St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto.
The corner building is shown in the archive photo undergoing reconstruction, with the first floor surrounded by a protective wall and the windows removed. It was originally built in 1879 and designed by architect Matthew Sheard for Octavius Newcombe & Company, a business specializing in piano and organ sales.
In 1976, a year after the archive photo was taken, the building reopened as office space, taking on its present-day appearance. Despite the research, whether the current facade conceals the original structure remains unclear. However, the modern building matches the original in height and retains the same number of elongated openings—six on the Richmond St E side and seven on the Church St side—corresponding to the original window bays. More recently, this building once housed Wild Wings restaurant.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Oct 11, 1879, pg 4 – (Octavius Newcombe & Company at Church St and Richmond St E, northeast corner)
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
