The restored Thos. Davidson Mfg. Co. Ltd. ghost sign is located at 425-441 Cherry St (at Front St E, on the southeast corner) in the Canary District of West Don Lands neighbourhood of Toronto.
On the north-facing wall of the three-story warehouse portion of the building, which faces Front St E, there’s a restored ghost sign that reads, “Thos. Davidson Mfg. Co. Ltd.” This company, known for producing tin and enamelware, is listed in the Toronto City Directory at this address from 1925 to 1928.
The history of the building dates back several decades earlier. It was constructed in multiple phases, beginning in 1858 and continuing in 1869 with the Palace Street School. There were later additions made for hotel purposes.
In the 1920s, the building was being used by the Montreal-based Thos. Davidson Manufacturing Company Limited as a warehouse to distribute its products in the Toronto area. During this time, the company added a three-story extension to the east side of the building, and for decades, its signage is faintly visible between the second and third stories on the north side of this addition. By 1927, the company became part of General Steel Wares Limited.
In 2021, construction began on the Canary House, a mixed-use condo sturcture that incorporated the warehouse-style building along with the historic neighbouring building that once housed the Palace Street School and the famous Canary Restaurant. In the spring of 2024, the Thos. Davidson Mfg. ghost sign was restored.
Thos. Davidson Mfg. Co. Ltd. Ghost Sign Photos
In the 1920s, the Montreal-based tin and enamelware company, Thos. Davidson Manufacturing Company Limited, constructed a three-storey extension on the east side of its building to serve as a distribution warehouse for the Toronto area. The name “Thos. Davidson Mfg. Co. Ltd.” was painted between the second and third stories of the building. In 1927, the company became part of General Steel Wares Limited, and its new name was painted over the old sign, which is faintly visible on the left side of the photo.
Today, the sign for “General Steel Wares Limited” has worn away and the original “Thos. Davidson Mfg. Co. Ltd.” is somewhat appearing once again, as shown in the photos above (City of Toronto Archives, Series 1465, File 666, Item 9, Urban Design photographs)
This historic structure, with sections dating back to 1859 and 1869, originally served as the Palace Street School. Today, it is part of a mixed-use condominium community known as the Canary House.
The warehouse-style building featuring the restored Thos. Davidson Manufacturing ghost sign was constructed in the 1920s to function as the company’s product distribution facility in the Toronto area
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- The Globe Newspaper Archives: Oct 18, 1927, pgs 6 & 7
- Photos: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photos: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory courtesy of Toronto Public Library
