The archive photo showcases a house that once stood at the corner, built around 1872. It was originally the residence of Wheeler Matthews, a merchant known as “The Barley King.” When the old photo was taken, the house served as the Italian United Mission – a portion of the Italian United Church is visible on the left side. By the time the house was demolished in the mid-1950s, it was the Bay Street Chinese Church House. The corner was later a parking lot, followed by a car showroom occupying the site. Since 1990, an 18-storey office building has stood at that corner.
One other item to point out in the vintage photo is the water tower in the background. It belonged to Fletcher Mfg. Ltd., a company that previously operated a showroom at 29-41 Hayter St. The company manufactured bakers’, confectioners’ and ice cream machinery and tools, as well as soda fountains (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 372, Sub Series 3, Item 728 – Dept. of Public Works photographs)
The archive photo shows the former University Theatre shortly after its closure. Established in 1949, the theatre was constructed for Famous Players Limited and designed by the architect Eric Hounsom.
When developers acquired this prime piece of real estate, they were tasked with restoring the theatre’s historic limestone façade. This process involved carefully dismantling, numbering, cleaning and patching each limestone block. The total cost of the restoration amounted to $1 million, and the reconstruction was completed in 2002. Currently, the building houses retail space and has served as the new location for the British fashion brand Burberry since October 2024 (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 515, Item 16 – Urban Design photographs)
The archive photo shows the streetscape nearly a century ago. A few buildings remain constant between the two images. In the foreground on the left is the portico entrance of the Canadian General Electric Company Building. Today, the building is home to businesses and restaurants, including the British-style pub Elephant & Castle. The Canadian Bank of Commerce Building can be seen in the centre-right background, while St. Andrew’s Church is visible in the foreground on the right.
Another notable structure in the vintage photo is the Toronto Star Building, which is the tower seen in the center-left background. This building was located at 80 King St W from 1929 to 1972, and architectural fragments of it are on display at Guild Park & Gardens (City of Toronto Archives, William James Family fonds, Fonds 1244, Item 7365)
The archive photo shows two bank buildings. The building in the right foreground was constructed for The Merchant Bank of Canada, which opened this branch in 1914. The banner on the bank partially reads: “Christmas Club – Start now with pennies or dollars and have money next Christmas.” In the early 1920s, Merchants Bank was acquired by the Bank of Montreal, which continued to operate a BMO branch at this location until approximately 2016 or 2017. This stately, heritage-designated building features a large circular window above the main entrance. Since 2018, it has been home to an A&W restaurant.
The building in the left background with the rounded corner was The Dominion Bank. It opened in 1920 and remained a TD branch until around 2010. After the bank vacated the space, the building housed a Starbucks, followed by Popeye’s, and since September 2025, it has been home to the Golden Horseshoe Barbecue (City of Toronto Archives, E.L. Ruddy Company fonds, Fonds 1488, Series 1230, Item 1517)
The archive photo shows the time when streetcars travelled along Dundas St W. Both photos show the Jacob Casselman Building at the corner on the left. Built in 1910, it was originally home to a hardware store and received heritage designation in 1995 (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Transit Commission fonds, Fonds 16, Series 71, Item 3627)
The archive photo shows O’Donohoe Row, a set of four Georgian-style townhomes built circa 1856. In 1903, these homes were converted into apartments and renamed Walnut Hall Apartment House. In 1973, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police purchased Walnut Hall. The following year, the city leased the building and operated it as a low-income rooming house until 1976. When the lease was not renewed, Walnut Hall was boarded up.
Although the building was listed on the city’s heritage register, it fell into neglect, and in 1996, the RCMP sold Walnut Hall. The ownership of the building changed hands a few times. In May 2007, the structure partially collapsed and had to be demolished.
Today, the laneway to the left is named Walnut Hall Place, and the site is home to a condo known as O2 Maisonettes on George (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 626, Item 36 – Urban Design photographs)
The archive photo features several establishments, listed from left to right: South Pacific Clothing Company, Ralph & Alice, Rock Variety, Mykonos Greek Restaurant, Cosmetic World, The Store, and Book City. Also, at the end of the block, the Masonic Hall Buildings are visible, which is now known as Gloucester Mews (City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 200, Series 1465, File 610, Item 5 – Alfred Pearson photographer)
The archive photo captures a time when the building on the left, located at the southwest corner, was home to a Surplus Department Store and Seaboard Loans, which featured a clock in its signage. The building at the northwest corner was a branch of the Royal Bank of Canada.
Today, the building on the left houses a nail salon, while the bank building was replaced in the mid-1960s by a mixed-use structure known as The Westlaw, which is still home to an RBC branch. In the present-day photo, you can still see a clock at the intersection; however, it is now situated at the northwest corner (City of Toronto Archives, Alexandra Studio fonds, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 38)
The archive photo shows a 1957 Buick Special parked in front of the Village House Hotel. Currently, this storefront is home to a restaurant (City of Toronto Archives, Alexandra Studio fonds, Fonds 1257, Series 1057, Item 548)
The mansion was built in 1881 for James Cooper, who was a partner in Cooper and Smith, a boot and shoe manufacturing company. Designed in the Second Empire style by architect Charles J. Read, the mansion served as Mr. Cooper’s residence until 1894.
Afterward, it became the Keeley Institute for Nervous Diseases. In 1910, the Knights of Columbus acquired the historic home and occupied it for 95 years. Following this, the Tridel Group redeveloped the property, carefully relocating the 800-ton mansion closer to Sherbourne St and incorporating it into a 33-storey condo tower, which was completed in 2010 (Toronto Public Library Pictures-R-3692 – James Victor Salmon photographer)
The archive photo shows an early 1950s Cadillac Series 62 parked next to the water fountain, with a Molson’s sign visible in the background (City of Toronto Archives, Strathy Smith fonds, Fonds 1128, Series 381, File 258, Item 11043-5)
The archive photo shows Le Provencal Restaurant and Café, once located at 23 St Thomas St. The fine-dining restaurant opened in 1963 and closed in 1988; today, the site is home to a mixed-use building (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 8, Item 93)
The archive photo shows the National Grocers Co. Limited building, which was constructed around 1899. Designed by architect Edgar B. Jarvis, the five-storey building originally served as the offices and warehouse for the Eby-Blain Company, a wholesale importer and grocery manufacturer. In 1925, the company merged with over 30 other historic wholesale grocery businesses to form the National Grocers. As a result, the building at Front St E and Scott St became the headquarters for National Grocers.
Fast forward four decades, and the grand office and warehouse structure was last mentioned in the 1967 Toronto City Directory before it was demolished to make way for the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts.
The centre officially opened in February 1970. Although it was initially expected to be completed three years earlier as part of Toronto’s contribution to the country’s Centennial celebrations, the project became a political football and experienced delays. Designed in the Brutalist style by the architecture firm Gordon S. Adamson & Associates, the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts cost over $5 million to construct and originally featured an 863-seat theatre and a 483-seat town hall auditorium (City of Toronto Archives, Ellis Wiley fonds, Fonds 124, File 1, Item 109)
Built in 1905, architect Alexander Frank Wickson designed the firehall in the Edwardian Classical style. The building received heritage status from the city in 1973. The archive photo shows two convertibles, a yellow mid-1960s Ford Mustang and an orange 1960s Volkswagen Beetle (City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Historical Board fonds, Fonds 2043, Series 2523, File 144, Item 1)
The archived photo shows the corner building when it was home to Stratenger’s Saloon. Originally, this building was known as the Rex Theatre, which opened in the mid-1910s. In the early 1940s, it was renamed the Joy Theatre. After the theatre closed in the mid-1950s, the building became the Grads Club. From 1989 to 2021, it housed Stratenger’s Saloon. Today, the former theatre is the location of Dave’s Hot Chicken (City of Toronto Archives, Ken Webster fonds, Fonds 251, Series 1278, File 141)
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Heritage Toronto: O’Donohoe Row (Walnut Hall) plaque
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jun 6, 2008, pg G1 (James Cooper Mansion, northwest corner of Sherbourne St & Linden St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Aug 4, 1856, pg 2 (Walnut Hall, northwest corner of Shuter St & George St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Oct 17, 1975, pg 31 (Walnut Hall, northwest corner of Shuter St & George St)
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: May 21, 2007, pg A3 (Walnut Hall, northwest corner of Shuter St & George St)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jan 26, 1963, pg 15 (Le Provencal Restaurant)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Mar 23, 1963, pg 19 (Le Provencal Restaurant)
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Jan 21, 1989, pg C4 (Le Provencal Restaurant)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Jan 15, 1915, pg 9 (The Merchants Bank of Canada, looking southeast at Dupont St & Christie St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Jan 27, 1921, pg 5 (The Dominion Bank, looking southeast at Dupont St & Christie St)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: May 26, 1919, pg 9 (Bay St & Elm St, northeast corner)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Nov 9, 1899, pg 14 (Front St E & Scott St, southeast corner)
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: July 29, 1904, pg 5 (Front St E & Scott St, southwest corner)
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Aug 18, 1925, pg 10 (Front St E & Scott St, southwest corner)
- The Toronto Daily Star Newspaper Archives: Oct 10, 1970, pg B12 (Front St E & Scott St, southwest corner)
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives, Toronto Public Library, Archives of Ontario & CNE Heritage
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
