December 21, 1999
To: Toronto Community Council
From: George E. Waters, Managing Director, Toronto Historical Board
Subject: 262 St. Clair Avenue West (Alexander Davidson House) - Designation Under Part IV of the Ontario
Heritage Act
Midtown
Purpose:
This report recommends that the property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West (Alexander Davidson House) be designated under
Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
None.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1) the property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West (Alexander Davidson House) be designated under Part IV of the Ontario
Heritage Act.
(2) the appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.
Background:
At its meeting of October 26-28, 1999, Toronto City Council listed the properties at 262 and 264 St. Clair Avenue West on
the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties. The properties contain a detached residential building, currently used
as medical offices and an apartment, and a coach house, currently used as a residence.
On October 27, 1999, the owners of the properties made separate Residential Demolition Applicationspplications to
demolish the buildings at 262 St. Clair Avenue West (Application #105918 DEM 00 RP) and 264 St. Clair Avenue West
(Application #105924 DEM 00 RP). On November 10, 1999, Heritage Toronto sent a letter objecting to the release of the
demolition permit for the property at 264 St. Clair Avenue West. Heritage Toronto sent a letter dated December 8, 1999,
objecting to the release of the demolition permit for the property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West so that it might consider the
property for designation under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
The property owners plan to develop a residential development on the property that will result in the demolition of the
house form building (now used as medical offices) at 262 St. Clair Avenue West and the former coach house (now used as
a residence) at 264 St. Clair Avenue West. The house form building is particularly important because of its intact historical
interiors and its role in retaining the low-scale residential appearance of the Forest Hill neighbourhood.
Heritage Toronto, acting in the capacity of the Toronto Community Council Local Architectural Conservation Advisory
Committee, recommends the property be designated to offer it protection from demolition.
Comments:
Short Statement of Reasons for Designation
Alexander Davidson House
262 St. Clair Avenue West
The property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West is identified for architectural and historical reasons. The house was constructed
in 1911-1912 according to the designs of Toronto architect J. Wilson Gray. The property was developed for Dr. Alexander
Davidson, a surgeon at Toronto Western Hospital. In 1925, Dr. William Belfrey Hendry, Chief of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology at Toronto General Hospital and a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, acquired the site. The
house was named the Hendry Building following its conversion to medical offices in 1946.
The Alexander Davidson House is designed in the Edwardian Classical style. The building is constructed of red brick and
trimmed with brick, artificial stone and wood. The rectangular plan features a 2½-storey main block flanked by a
two-storey west wing. The steeply-pitched gable roof has extended eaves, a brick and stone chimney and, on the south and
north slopes, wood dormers. On the principal (south) façade, a 2½ -storey pedimented entrance with quoins, coping,
brackets, keystones and sidelights contains a single-leaf wood door has bronze hardware. A recessed stone porch displays
stone, clay and wood cladding with period light fixtures and Classical elements. There are three sets of French doors and
flat-headed window openings with double-sash wood windows. The east wall features a truncated gable, a recessed
entrance porch with a single-leaf wood door, and single and two-storey bay windows. The rear (north) elevation displays
flat-headed window openings. The west wing has a gable roof with returned eaves and, on the south and west walls,
casement windows.
Significant interior elements are found in the main-floor entrance hall and drawing room and the second-floor hall and
foyer. The entrance hall displays period light fixtures, panelled walls and doors, and a plaster cornice and ceiling. The
drawing room has wood panelling, cornice and entablatures, and a plaster ceiling. In both rooms, fireplaces have wood,
brick, tile and metal detailing and period light fixtures. A wood staircase rises to the second floor where the foyer and hall
displays wood wainscoting and doors. The foyer has a period light fixture, while the hall has a vaulted plaster ceiling.
The property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West is located on the northwest corner of St. Clair Avenue and Russell Hill Road.
The house is set back from and elevated above St. Clair Avenue in a landscaped setting with mature trees. The property is
indicative of the residential properties that lined St. Clair Avenue West in the Forest Hill neighbourhood. The property has
long associations with the Toronto medical community as the residence of two doctors and, during the last half century, as
medical offices. The architectural design is highlighted by intact interior period elements.
Conclusions:
Heritage Toronto recommends that City Council designate the property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West (Alexander Davidson
House) under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
Contact:
Kathryn Anderson
Preservation Officer, History
Heritage Toronto
Telephone: 392-6827 ext. 239; Fax: 392-6834
E-Mail: KathrynH.Anderson@toronto.city.on.ca
Richard L. Stromberg
Manager, Historical Preservation
Heritage Toronto
(g:\report\2000\cc2000\cc004-2000)
List of Attachments:
Report, Managing Director, Heritage Toronto, August 24, 1999 (thb99034.hpd)
Heritage Property Report: Alexander Davidson House
HERITAGE TORONTO
August 24, 1999
To: Chair and Members, Toronto Historical Board
Subject: 262 AND 264 ST. CLAIR AVENUE WEST (ALEXANDER
DAVIDSON HOUSE AND COACH HOUSE) - INCLUSION ON
THE CITY OF TORONTO INVENTORY OF HERITAGE
PROPERTIES
From: Managing Director, Heritage Toronto (thb98034.hpd)
RECOMMENDATION
That the properties at 262 and 264 St. Clair Avenue West (Alexander Davidson House and Coach House) be recommended
for inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
COMMENTS
1. Background:
Councillor John Adams, on behalf of his constituents, submitted a Property Nomination Form requesting that the
properties at 262 and 264 St. Clair Avenue West be considered for inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage
Properties. The property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West contains a house form building dating to 1911-1912 which is
currently used for medical offices and an apartment. The adjoining coach house located at 264 St. Clair Avenue West was
constructed at the same time and is now in residential use. There is concern in the neighbourhood that the continuing
pressure to increase density along St. Clair Avenue West will result in the demolition of these buildings.
A report prepared by heritage consultant Paul Dilse for the applicant as supporting evidence for the nomination is attached.
2. Discussion:
The properties at 262 and 264 St. Clair Avenue West were evaluated according to the Board's Criteria which indicate that
the site is a Notable Heritage Property (Category B).
A Property Research Summary is attached.
George Waters
Acting Managing Director
RS/KA
encl. Property Research Summary
Location Map and Photograph
HERITAGE TORONTO
HERITAGE PROPERTY REPORT
262 St. Clair Avenue West
This report is the "Long Statement of Reasons for Designation" for the designation of the property at 262 St. Clair Avenue
West (Alexander Davidson House) under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act. It contains Basic Building Data, as well as
sections on the Historical Development, Architectural Description and Context of the property. Sources, the "Short
Statement of Reasons for Designation" (intended for publication), Map and Photographs are attached.
Basic Building Data:
Address: 262 St. Clair Avenue West (northwest corner of St. Clair Avenue West and Russell Hill Road)
Ward: Midtown (Ward 23)
Current Name: Hendry Building
Historical Name: Alexander Davidson House
Construction Date: 1911-1912
Architect: J. Wilson Gray
Contractor/Builder: Gordon Brothers
Additions/Alterations: dates unknown, 1st-floor casement window altered; slate roof replaced; interior alterations for
doctors' offices
Original Owner: Dr. Alexander Davidson, physician
Original Use: residential (single family dwelling)
Current Use*: commercial & residential (medical offices & apartment); * this does not refer to permitted use(s) as defined
in the
Zoning By-law
Heritage Category: Notable Heritage Property (Category B)
Recorder/Date: HPD: KA/December 1999
Heritage Property Report
Historical Background:
Forest Hill:
With the establishment of the Town of York in 1793, Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe directed the division of
lands north of the townsite into a series of lots. The land between present-day Queen and Bloor Streets were surveyed into
over 30 park lots, while the concessions between Bloor and Eglinton were arranged in a series of 200-acre farm lots. The
allotments were distributed to government officials as the location of country estates.
Farm Lot 23, located north of St. Clair between Yonge and Bathurst Street was awarded to Peter Russell, the Receiver
General of Upper Canada and, by 1796, the administrator of the province. In 1817, Russell's sister, Elizabeth, sold the lot
to Augustus Warren Baldwin (1776-), her cousin's son and an admiral in the British navy. Admiral Baldwin was the
brother of Dr. William Warren Baldwin who developed his estate, "Spadina", on adjacent Lot 24. In 1818, the admiral built
a house on the property that he named "Russell Hill" in recognition of his birthplace near Cork, Ireland. Following his
retirement from the British navy in 1836, Admiral Baldwin moved permanently to his estate where he died in 1866.
Because Baldwin died childless, his brothers and their heirs inherited the property. At the end of the 19th century, historical
maps mark the lands as the "Baldwin Estate".
When the Baldwin lands were divided into building lots, the family imposed a restrictive covenant on the area. New
housing must be detached, constructed of masonry, designed by an architect, respect a 30-foot setback from the adjoining
streets, and have a value of no less than $5000.
262 St. Clair Avenue West:
In 1911-1912, the property now known as 262 and 264 St. Clair Avenue West was developed for Dr. Alexander Davidson,
a surgeon at Toronto Western Hospital. In 1925, Dr. William Belfrey Hendry, Chief of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at
Toronto General Hospital and a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, acquired the site. The house was
named the Hendry Building following its conversion to medical offices in 1946.
Architect J. Wilson Gray (1861-1922) designed the house and complementary coach house. Born in Scotland, Gray
(1861-1922) trained at Edinburgh University before immigrating to Toronto in 1885. During a career in which in designed
numerous churches and houses, Gray is best known for his alterations and additions to the Confederation Life Building at
12 Richmond Street East. The latter property is designated under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.
The properties at 262 and 264 St. Clair Avenue, containing the Alexander Davidson House and Coach House, were
included on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties by Toronto City Council on October 26-28, 1999.
Architectural Description:
Exterior: Alexander Davidson House
The Alexander Davidson House is designed in the Edwardian Classical style favoured for residential and commercial
architecture in the early 20th century. Rising 2½-stories, the house is constructed of red brick and trimmed with artificial
stone and wood. The rectangular plan with a stepped facade is covered by a steeply-pitched gable roof with extended eaves
and a single brick and stone chimney. Wood dormers with Classical detailing are placed on the south and north slopes. The
principal (south) facade is organized into a 2½-storey main block flanked by a two-storey west wing. In the centre of the
symmetrically-organized main block, a projecting entrance bay rises 2½ stories beneath a shaped pediment with stone
quoins, coping, and brackets with Classical detailing. A single-leaf oak door with bronze hardware is placed in an elaborate
stone surround with quoins and exaggerated keystones. The door is flanked by separate half-length sidelights with stone
sills. A recessed stone porch with Classical columns and pilasters supporting an entablature protects the entry and three sets
of French windows in the first floor. The porch has stone steps, a clay tile floor, and a slatted wood ceiling. Period glass
light fixtures flank the door and are mounted along the porch ceiling. Above the entrance, two rows of flat-headed window
openings with continuous stone sills are trimmed with brick voussoirs, stone keystones and, in the attic level, quoins and
lintels. In the remainder of the main block, flat-headed window openings have double-sash wood windows, brick
voussoirs, and stone sills and keystones. The east wall facing Russell Hill Road rises 2½ stories beneath a truncated gable
with stone coping. A recessed entrance porch has stone steps, clay tile floor, slatted wood ceiling, and elaborate brick and
stone detailing. The porch protects a stone-trimmed entrance containing a single-leaf wood door. On this wall, single and
two-storey bay windows display stone detailing. The second-storey window openings are set in stone surrounds, while
those in the attic level have brick and stone detailing. The rear (north) elevation displays a 2½-storey projecting centre
section, a tripartite stairwell window, and flat-headed window openings set according to the interior plan. The west wing
has a gable roof with returned eaves and, on the south and west walls, bands of casement windows with Classical wood
detailing and stone sills.
Interior: Alexander Davidson House
Significant interior elements are found in the main-floor entrance hall and drawing room and the second-floor hall and
foyer. The entrance hall displays oak panelled walls, moulded plaster cornice, panelled plaster ceiling, and panelled oak
doors. A fireplace with Arts and Crafts detailing features a brick hearth, tile face and floor, hammered metal hood,
brackets, and oak mantle. Wall lamps inspired by Art Nouveau styling surmount the mantle, and the ceiling has a period
glass light fixture. A dog-leg oak staircase with a Classically-detailed newel post, turned balusters, posts and handrail rises
to the second-floor foyer and hallway. The foyer has oak wainscoting, cornice and doors as well as a ceiling glass light
fixture. The foyer leads to a hall with oak wainscoting and doors and a vaulted plaster ceiling. The first-floor drawing
room, located west of the entrance hall, displays panelled mahogany walls with a dentilled cornice and entablatures below
a plaster cornice and ceiling. On the west wall, its elaborate mahogany surround distinguishes a fireplace with Classical
detailing, tiled floor and face, metal hearth, mahogany mantle and wall lamps.
Context:
Clair Avenue West in the Forest Hill neighbourhood. The property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West is located on the
northwest corner of St. Clair Avenue and Russell Hill Road on lands subdivided from the Baldwin Estate. The house is set
back from and elevated above St. Clair Avenue in a landscaped setting with mature trees. The property is indicative of the
residential properties that lined St.
Summary:
The property has long associations with the Toronto medical community as the residence of two doctors and, during the
last half century, as medical offices. The architectural design is highlighted by intact interior period elements.
Sources:
Dilse, Paul. "Dr. Alexander Davidson House and Coach House, 262 and 264 St. Clair Avenue West, Toronto, Ontario."
August 1999.
Lundell, Liz. The Estates of Old Toronto. Erin, Ont.: The Boston Mills Press, 1997.
"William Belfrey Hendry". Entry in The Municipality of Toronto by J. E. Middleton. Vol. II. Toronto: Dominion
Publishing Company, 1923.
Kathryn Anderson
December 1999
Attachment I: Short Statement of Reasons for Designation
Alexander Davidson House
262 St. Clair Avenue West
The property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West is identified for architectural and historical reasons. The house was constructed
in 1911-1912 according to the designs of Toronto architect J. Wilson Gray. The property was developed for Dr. Alexander
Davidson, a surgeon at Toronto Western Hospital. In 1925, Dr. William Belfrey Hendry, Chief of Obstetrics and
Gynaecology at Toronto General Hospital and a professor of medicine at the University of Toronto, acquired the site. The
house was named the Hendry Building following its conversion to medical offices in 1946.
The Alexander Davidson House is designed in the Edwardian Classical style. The building is constructed of red brick and
trimmed with brick, artificial stone and wood. The rectangular plan features a 2½-storey main block flanked by a
two-storey west wing. The steeply-pitched gable roof has extended eaves, a brick and stone chimney and, on the south and
north slopes, wood dormers. On the principal (south) façade, a 2½ -storey pedimented entrance with quoins, coping,
brackets, keystones and sidelights contains a single-leaf wood door has bronze hardware. A recessed stone porch displays
stone, clay and wood cladding with period light fixtures and Classical elements. There are three sets of French doors and
flat-headed window openings with double-sash wood windows. The east wall features a truncated gable, a recessed
entrance porch with a single-leaf wood door, and single and two-storey bay windows. The rear (north) elevation displays
flat-headed window openings. The west wing has a gable roof with returned eaves and, on the south and west walls,
casement windows.
Significant interior elements are found in the main-floor entrance hall and drawing room and the second-floor hall and
foyer. The entrance hall displays period light fixtures, panelled walls and doors, and a plaster cornice and ceiling. The
drawing room has wood panelling, cornice and entablatures, and a plaster ceiling. In both rooms, fireplaces have wood,
brick, tile and metal detailing and period light fixtures. A wood staircase rises to the second floor where the foyer and hall
displays wood wainscoting and doors. The foyer has a period light fixture, while the hall has a vaulted plaster ceiling.
The property at 262 St. Clair Avenue West is located on the northwest corner of St. Clair Avenue and Russell Hill Road.
The house is set back from and elevated above St. Clair Avenue in a landscaped setting with mature trees. The property is
indicative of the residential properties that lined St. Clair Avenue West in the Forest Hill neighbourhood. The property has
long associations with the Toronto medical community as the residence of two doctors and, during the last half century, as
medical offices. The architectural design is highlighted by intact interior period elements.
