Looking northeast towards 56 Wellesley St E just east of Yonge St in the Church-Wellesley neighbourhood of Toronto.
The archive photo shows the Evangelical Church of the Deaf, and the small portion of the building just behind it on the left is the historic Paul Kane House, which served as the church hall.
The church was built at a cost of $72,000 and held its first service in 1926. In the early 1970s, the property was sold for $390,000, and the church held its last service in 1973 before the building was demolished.
An interesting bit of history about the Paul Kane House. According to an article in the April 5, 1974, edition of The Toronto Star, “For almost 100 years, everyone except the minister believed that the house had disappeared.” This changed in 1973 when a student working for the Toronto Historical Board walked up a laneway beside the former church building. The student discovered the house and later proved that it had originally been the home of Mr. Kane.
Paul Kane (1810-1871) was an Irish-born Canadian painter known for his artwork depicting landscapes of the West and Indigenous peoples. In the mid-1850s, Kane purchased the property on Wellesley St E and built a stucco cottage, which was later expanded in that decade. After Paul Kane died in 1871, his family continued to live there. In 1873, the house was clad with buff brick, and a porch was added. The Kane family owned the house until 1903.
In 1978, the city acquired the property for a reported $500,000, including $170,000 in support from the province’s Wintario funding. The following year, the house was designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, and a city parkette was created.
The Church Isabella Residents Co-operative later leased the land and abandoned house, and in 1985, with plans by architect Paul Reuber, renovated the Paul Kane House, divided it into two apartments, and incorporated it into a residential development that opened in 1986. This house was preserved thanks to the efforts of local residents and heritage organizations.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Heritage Toronto: Paul Kane Park plaque
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Apr 3, 1926, pg 13
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Oct 25, 1973, pg W4
- The Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Apr 5, 1974, pg 9
- The Globe and Mail Newspaper Archives: Apr 5, 1978, pg 8
- Church Isabella Residents Co-op: About
- National Gallery of Canada: Paul Kane
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
