Looking southeast towards the corner of Yonge St and Wellington St E in the St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto.
The archive photo provides a glimpse into a bygone era. The first three stories of the building, once at the corner, were constructed between 1860 and 1861 to house the Royal Insurance Company.
In the early 1900s, the building became the head office for Gutta Percha & Rubber Limited, which added two additional stories to the structure. An interesting feature of the building was the window at the top front corner, shaped like the Maltese Cross, the company’s trademark. Gutta Percha & Rubber Limited specialized in manufacturing rubber goods, including boots, shoes, fire hoses, and carriage and motor tires. The term “gutta-percha” refers to a natural latex product made from the sap of Palaquium trees.
After its time as the rubber company’s headquarters, the building became known as the Sainsbury Building (as shown in the archive photo) and served as a hub for various offices. It was demolished in the early 1960s to make way for a parking lot, and today, the site is occupied by a modern mirrored office building.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory, courtesy of Toronto Public Library
