December 16, 1999
To: Toronto Community Council
From: George E. Waters, Managing Director, Toronto Historical Board
Subject: Schools Report - Inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties
Purpose:
This report recommends that the properties at 125 Evelyn Crescent, 228 Hallam Street, 410 Pape Avenue, 180 Shaw Street,
1100 Spadina Avenue, and 24 Williamson Road be included on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
Financial Implications and Impact Statement:
None.
Recommendations:
It is recommended that:
(1) The property at 125 Evelyn Crescent (Western Technical-Commercial School) be recommended for inclusion on the
City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
(2) The property at 228 Hallam Street (Dovercourt Public School) be recommended for inclusion on the City of Toronto
Inventory of Heritage Properties.
(3) The property at 410 Pape Avenue (Pape Avenue Public School) be recommended for inclusion on the City of Toronto
Inventory of Heritage Properties.
(4) The property at 180 Shaw Street (Givins Public School, 1914) be recommended for inclusion on the City of Toronto
Inventory of Heritage Properties.
(5) The property at 1100 Spadina Road (Forest Hill Village Public School) be recommended for inclusion on the City of
Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
(6) The property at 24 Williamson Road (Williamson Road Public School) be recommended for inclusion on the City of
Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
(7) The Schools Study be extended to evaluate school properties owned by the Toronto Separate School Board for
inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
(8) Preservation staff report on methods to study the remaining schools in the City of Toronto for inclusion on the City of
Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
(9) The appropriate City Officials be authorized and directed to take the necessary action to give effect thereto.
Background:
In October 1998, the Toronto District School Board identified 138 schools for possible closure; 45 of these schools are
located in the former City of Toronto. At its meeting of November 18, 1998, Toronto City Council passed
Recommendation #24.c. that "the City Solicitor, in consultation with the appropriate City officials, be requested to submit
a report to the School Tax Sub-Committee on when it would be appropriate to designate schools in the City of Toronto
under the Ontario Heritage Act."
Comments:
Heritage Toronto staff supervised a study to evaluate the schools in the former City of Toronto that were identified for
possible closure by the Toronto District School Board. Of the 45 school properties studied, six were determined to merit
inclusion on the Inventory of Heritage Properties following evaluation according to Heritage Toronto's Criteria.
At its meeting of December 8, 1999, the Board of Heritage Toronto recommended that six properties owned by the Toronto
District School Board be added to the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
There are currently 16 school properties listed on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties, including 4
properties under the jurisdiction of the Toronto District School Board.
Conclusions:
Heritage Toronto recommends that City Council include the properties at 125 Evelyn Crescent, 228 Hallam Street, 410
Pape Avenue, 180 Shaw Street, 1100 Spadina Avenue and 24 Williamson Road on the City of Toronto Inventory of
Heritage Properties.
Heritage Toronto recommends that the other school properties in the City of Toronto not yet evaluated for inclusion be
studied to determine which properties merit listing on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
Contact:
Ms. Kathryn Anderson
Preservation Officer, History
Heritage Toronto
Telephone 392-6827 ext. 239; Fax 392-6834
E-mail: KathrynHAnderson@toronto.city.on.ca
Richard L. Stromberg
Manager, Historical Preservation
Heritage Toronto
(g:/report/2000/cc2000/cc001-2000)
List of Attachments:
Report from the Managing Director, Heritage Toronto, November 16, 1999 (thb99054.hpd)
6 Property Research Summaries with Location Maps and Photographs
HERITAGE TORONTO
November 16, 1999
To: Chair and Members, Toronto Historical Board
Subject: SCHOOLS PROJECT- INCLUSION ON THE CITY OF TORONTO
INVENTORY OF HERITAGE PROPERTIES
From: Managing Director, Heritage Toronto (thb99054.hpd)
RECOMMENDATIONS
1. That the property at 125 Evelyn Crescent (Western Technical-Commercial School) be recommended for inclusion on the
City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
2. That the property at 228 Hallam Street (Dovercourt Public School) be recommended for inclusion on the City of Toronto
Inventory of Heritage Properties.
3. That the property at 410 Pape Avenue (Pape Avenue Public School) be recommended for inclusion on the City of
Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
4. That the property at 180 Shaw Street (Givins Public School, 1914) be recommended for inclusion on the City of Toronto
Inventory of Heritage Properties.
5. That the property at 1100 Spadina Road (Forest Hill Village Public School) be recommended for inclusion on the City of
Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties.
6. That the property at 24 Williamson Road (Williamson Road Public School) be recommended for inclusion on the City of
Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties
7. That the Chair, Toronto Heritage Board, request the Chair, Toronto District School Board, for a meeting of their
respective staffs to begin reviewing all of the schools to determine which should be included on the City of Toronto
Inventory of Heritage Properties.
COMMENTS
1. Background:
In October 1998, the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) identified 138 schools for possible closure; 45 of these
schools are located in the former City of Toronto. At its meeting of November 18, 1998, Toronto City Council passed
Recommendation #24.c. that "the City Solicitor, in consultation with the appropriate City officials, be requested to submit
a report to the School Tax Sub-Committee on when it would be appropriate to designate schools in the City of Toronto
under the Ontario Heritage Act."
In November 1998, the TDSB announced that it had revised its initial list of proposed school closings to 30 schools. Ten
schools were identified in April 1999 in the first phase of a three-year plan to close the schools. This list was confirmed in
September 1999.
2. Discussion:
a. School Study:
Beginning in January 1999, Heritage Toronto staff supervised a study of the schools in the former City of Toronto
identified on the TDSB's original list. Two graduate students from the University of Toronto's Museum Studies Program
conducted the study. School properties that were already listed on the Inventory of Heritage Properties were excluded. The
study involved the following procedures:
i. the photographic documentation of the 41 school properties under study
ii. the completion of Property Information Sheets for each property
iii. a project analysis, outlining what was accomplished and recommendations for extending the project to review more
schools
iv. the evaluation of each property according to Heritage Toronto's criteria
The study was completed in April 1999; the study document, including the project analysis, was submitted in "draft" form.
It is available for viewing in the offices of Heritage Toronto at 205 Yonge Street.
b. Requests for listing/designation:
Since the original announcement of the proposed closings, Heritage Toronto has received numerous inquiries about the
status and future of school properties in Toronto. Two written requests were received to include the properties at 180 Shaw
Street (Givins-Shaw Junior and Senior Public Schools) and 125 Evelyn Crescent (Western Technical-Commercial School)
on the Inventory of Heritage Properties. A request was also received to designate the property at 95 Regal Road (Regal
Road Junior Public School). Requesters were advised of the ongoing study and informed that they would be invited to
attend the meeting of Heritage Toronto when the school study is before the Board.
c. Results and recommendations:
On May 13, 1999, representatives of the TDSB Facility Services, the TDSB Archives, and the Board of Heritage Toronto
were invited to a meeting to review the results of the study. Mr. Jon Harstone represented the Board.
A list of the school properties that were researched and evaluated is attached. The following six properties were determined
to merit inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of Heritage Properties:
- 125 Evelyn Crescent: Western Technical-Commercial School
- 228 Hallam Street: Dovercourt Public School (now Dovercourt Junior Public School)
- 410 Pape Avenue: Pape Avenue Public School (now Pape Avenue Junior Public School)
- 180 Shaw Street: Givins Street School (now the Shaw Street portion of Givins-Shaw Junior and Senior Public Schools)
- 1100 Spadina Road: Forest Hill Village Public School (now North Preparatory Junior Public School)
- 24 Williamson Road: Williamson Road Public School (now Williamson Road Junior Public School)
Of the above-noted properties, the property at 180 Shaw Street appears on the September 1999 list of proposed school
closings. According to staff's evaluation, only the Shaw Street portion of the school is identified for inclusion on the
Inventory of Heritage Properties.
Heritage Toronto, as the Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (LACAC) for the former City of Toronto,
is required to report to Toronto City Council on the designation of school properties under the Ontario Heritage Act. This
report recommends that the properties identified above be recommended for inclusion on the City of Toronto Inventory of
Heritage Properties. Staff believe that the listing process is an effective and cost-effective tool in monitoring heritage
properties and encouraging sympathetic changes where alterations are necessary. Should any property on the Inventory of
Heritage Properties be threatened with inappropriate alterations or demolition, the City has the opportunity to designate
the property under the Ontario Heritage Act. Also, as requesters are advised, listing or designation does not prevent a
property from changing its use. In fact, preservation principles encourage the adaptive reuse of heritage properties where
the original use is no longer viable.
Regal Road Public School at 95 Regal Road was included on the Inventory of Heritage Properties on September 23, 1985.
While the property was included on the TDSB's initial list, it was later withdrawn. Staff believe that its inclusion on the
Inventory of Heritage Properties enables Heritage Toronto to monitor any proposed changes to the property. Should, in the
future, the property be threatened, the City could then recommend the designation of the property under the Ontario
Heritage Act.
It is recommended that the study be continued, when time and resources allow, evaluating all school properties in Toronto
to determine if others merit inclusion on the Inventory of Heritage Properties.
Property Research Summaries for the six school properties identified above are attached.
George Waters
Acting Managing Director
RS/KA
encl. Property Research Summaries
Location Maps and Photographs
HERITAGE TORONTO
PROPERTY RESEARCH SUMMARY
Basic Building Data:
Address: 125 Evelyn Crescent (south side of Evelyn Crescent between Evelyn and Glenlake Avenues)
Ward: 19 (High Park)
Current Name: Western Technical-Commercial School
Historical Name: Western Branch, Technical School
Construction Date: 1927-1928
Architect: Cyril E. Dyson, Superintendent of Buildings, Toronto Board of
Education
Contractor/Builder: Fred Holmes and Sons Limited
Additions/Alterations: 1961: east addition
Original Owner: Toronto Board of Education
Original Use: educational (public secondary school)
Current Use*: educational (public secondary school)
Heritage Category: Notable Heritage Property
Recording Date: November 1999
Recorder: HPD:KA
* this does not refer to permitted use(s) as defined in the Zoning By-law
Property Research Summary
Descriptive Information:
The property at 125 Evelyn Crescent is identified for architectural reasons. Western Technical-Commercial School was
constructed in 1927-1928 according to the designs of Toronto architect Cyril E. Dyson, Superintendent of Buildings for the
Toronto Board of Education. The building was originally known as the Technical School, Western Branch, and was one of
four technical training schools built in Toronto at this time.
Western Technical-Commercial School is designed in the Collegiate Gothic style favoured for educational buildings in the
early 20th century. Resting on a rough sandstone base, the three-storey building is clad with brown brick. Stone is applied
for the base course, band courses, door and window surrounds, window mullions and spandrels, cornices and sculpted
detailing. The sprawling square plan is covered by a gable roof with large chimneys, cross-gables on the north, west and
south walls, and copper-trimmed cornices.
The principal (west) façade is organized into three parts with a centre block, long flanking wings and projecting end bays.
The centre block rises four stories beneath a tall brick parapet with stone crenellations and sculpted ornaments. The
principal entrance is placed at the base where a stone porch is crowned by a parapet with a moulded cornice, shield motifs,
and mock buttresses. A Tudor arch with multiple mouldings leads into the entrance porch with its vaulted roof. A moulded
wood doorcase contains a trio of panelled doors with glazing and an oversized three-part glazed transom. The extended
wall above the entrance porch displays a monumental two-storey window surround in the shape of a Tudor arch. In the
second storey, three flat-headed window openings have double six-pane windows. The extended third storey has a trio of
pointed-arch windows set in stone tracery. On either side of the centre block, the three-storey wings are organized into six
bays with flat-headed window openings. The bays flanking the centre block have single window openings, while the
remaining openings contain three-part windows with four-over-six lights. The end blocks are topped with stone pediments
with lancet detailing. There are four-part window openings in all three floors.
The identical side (north and south) walls are organized in four sections with projecting centre blocks, five-bay wings, end
blocks and end walls. Topped by pediments with carved details, the centre blocks have Tudor-arched entrances in the first
floor and four-part window openings in the stories above. On either side, the fenestration on the wings is identical to that
introduced on the west facade. The end blocks have Tudor-arched door surrounds, lancet-shaped window openings and
pediments. The side walls terminate in blank end walls with oversized brick chimneys. The building is extended to the rear
(east) by additions that are not identified as significant features.
Important interior elements are located inside the principal (west) entry. Inside the main doors, an entrance foyer has a
vaulted ceiling supported on columns. Three panelled wood doors with glazing lead into a cross-hall with elaborate
gilt-trimmed cornice mouldings and a panelled ceiling with medallions. The east wall of the hallway displays a carved
stone war memorial. On either side of the memorial, doors lead into the auditorium where significant features are the wood
wainscotting, the panelled ceiling with gilt-trimmed beams and moulded details, the balcony supported on piers, and the
stage with a decorated proscenium.
The property at 125 Evelyn Crescent is located on a large lot bounded by Evelyn Crescent, Evelyn Avenue, Glendonwynne
Road and Glenlake Avenue in the area southeast of Runnymede Road and Annette Street. The shape of the property and
the placement of the building thereon were dictated by the configuration of the curved residential streets surrounding it.
The school complex is elevated above the adjoining streets, with a rough stone retaining wall and stairs separating the
principal façade from the playing field to the southwest. Western Technical-Commercial School is an excellent example of
Collegiate Gothic architecture and an important feature of the West Toronto neighbourhood.
HERITAGE TORONTO
PROPERTY RESEARCH SUMMARY
Basic Building Data:
Address: 228 Hallam Street (northwest corner of Hallam Street and Bartlett Avenue)
Ward: 21 (Davenport)
Current Name: Dovercourt Junior Public School
Historical Name: Dovercourt Public School
Construction Date: 1915-1916
Architect: C. H. Bishop, Superintendent of Buildings, Toronto Board of
Education
Contractor/Builder: none found
Additions/Alterations: 1938: centre block, south wing, south addition and north entrance
1979: north addition
Original Owner: Toronto Board of Education
Original Use: educational (public elementary school)
Current Use*: educational (public elementary school)
Heritage Category: Neighbourhood Heritage Property
Recording Date: November 1999
Recorder: HPD:KA
* this does not refer to permitted use(s) as defined in the Zoning By-law
Property Research Summary
Description:
The property at 228 Hallam Street (known for convenience purposes as 228 Bartlett Street) is identified for architectural
reasons. The original (north) portion of Dovercourt Public School was built in 1915-1916 according to plans prepared
under the direction of architect C. H. Bishop, Superintendent of Buildings for the Toronto Board of Education. The
construction, replacing an earlier school with the same name, followed the annexation of Dovercourt by the City of
Toronto in 1910. The complementary centre block, south wing and addition, and north entrance were added in 1938.
Dovercourt Public School is designed with a mixture of Gothic and Classical features. The three-storey building has a
raised basement with window openings. The long rectangular plan is symmetrically organized with a four-storey central
tower flanked by long wings and end blocks. The tower is protected by a steeply pitched hip roof with a glazed copper
lantern. The flat roof covering the main body has a large brick chimney over the north wing. A projecting moulded wood
cornice and a brick parapet extend across all the walls, with an extended parapet on the east face of the tower. Stone is used
for the base course, band courses, quoins, lintels and sills. Decorative brick is applied in a diamond pattern on the window
spandrels and on portions of the tower.
On the long principal (east) façade on Bartlett Street, the main entrance is found at the base of the tower in an elaborate
stone doorcase. Engaged Tuscan columns support a carved entablature with modillion blocks. A round-arched entry
decorated with a keystone and corner blocks contains double wood doors and a multi-paned transom. A stone nameplate
reading "DOVERCOURT PUBLIC SCHOOL" is placed above the entrance. The upper stories contain flat-headed window
openings with pairs of double-hung sliding sash windows with six-over-nine lights.
The north wing contains the original portion of Dovercourt Public School. It is distinguished from its southern counterpart
by the slight projection of the north half of the wall. Each storey displays two groups of five-part double-hung sliding sash
windows with six-over-one lights. The south wing has similar fenestration with six-over-nine lights. At the north end, the
end bay is recessed and has single window openings in the upper stories. The first floor is enclosed for an entrance. A
Classical stone doorcase has piers supporting a copper-clad pediment. Above the double doors and single glazed transom, a
nameplate reads "DOVERCOURT" and a date stone is marked "1915". On the opposite end of this façade, the south end
bay projects slightly. The south entrance is identical to the one at the north end, apart from the date stone labelled "1938".
A single-storey wing containing a large square bay window and an entrance extends from the south wall. On the rear (west)
wall, the pattern of window openings and detailing is based on the principal façade. The 1-&-1/2-storey north addition is
not identified as a significant feature.
The property at 228 Hallam Street is located on the northwest corner of Hallam Street and Bartlett Avenue in the
neighbourhood southeast of Dufferin and Dupont Streets. The school complex fills most of the block between Dupont and
Hallam Streets where a residential neighbourhood adjoins the large property. With the original section completed in 1916
and complementary additions dating to 1938, Dovercourt Public School is a good example of school design during the
World War I and post-war era.
HERITAGE TORONTO
PROPERTY RESEARCH SUMMARY
Basic Building Data:
Address: 410 Pape Avenue (southwest corner of Pape and Riverdale Avenues)
Ward: 25 (Don River)
Current Name: Pape Avenue Junior Public School
Historical Name: Pape Avenue Public School
Construction Date: 1898
Architect: Toronto Board of Education staff
Contractor/Builder: G. T. Gayton (1913 section)
Additions/Alterations: 1907, 1912 and 1913: north additions;
1956-1957, west addition, Parrott, Tambling and Witmer, architects;
1976, addition;
dates unknown: window enclosed on west wall of north wing; door opened on north wall of north wing
Original Owner: Toronto Board of Education
Original Use: educational (public elementary school)
Current Use*: educational (public elementary school)
Heritage Category: Neighbourhood Heritage Property
Recording Date: November 1999
Recorder: HPD:KA
* this does not refer to permitted use(s) as defined in the Zoning By-law
Property Research Summary
Descriptive Information:
The property at 410 Pape Avenue is identified for architectural reasons. Pape Avenue Public School was constructed in
1898 according to the designs of the Toronto Board of Education architectural staff. The school was extended to the north
by three additions in the period from 1907 to 1913. Pape Avenue Public School is designed with a mixture of Gothic and
Classical features.
The original section and its complementary additions form an H-shaped plan. Above raised sandstone bases with window
openings, the two-storey buildings are clad with red brick. Stone is applied for the base courses, quoins, window trim and
decorative detailing.
The earliest section of the school extends along the north side of Langley Avenue. The rectangular-shaped building is
covered by a steeply pitched hip roof with extended eaves. The principal (south) façade is arranged around a central
three-storey tower with a hip roof. The lower storey contains double entrance doors, a three-part segmental-headed
transom, and a bracketed hood with Gothic caplets. In the second storey, an oversized segmental-arched surround is
decorated with stone voussoirs and contains a three-part window and a blind opening. The top of the tower displays
Gothic-inspired chimneys and detailing in stone and copper, as well as pattern brick detailing. The walls flanking the tower
have flat-headed window openings in each storey that are organized between incised brick piers. Five-part sliding sash
windows contain six-over-one lights. The remaining walls are blank.
A two-storey wing, completed in two phases but with shared detailing, is attached at right angles to the rear (north) of the
original building. The gable roof has extended eaves with moulded cornices and brackets. There is a large decorated brick
chimney on the west slope. The east and west walls have identical arrangements with two extended bays separated by brick
piers. In each storey, flat-headed openings contain four-part sliding sash windows with four-over-four lights. The window
surrounds incorporate dentils and decorated spandrels.
At the north end, the wing is set at right angles to the latter additions and parallel to the earliest part of the school. It
reflects the original section with its rectangular plan covered by a steeply pitched hip roof. The roof has two large
decorated brick chimneys on the north slope. The long north wall is organized into three bays. In the lower storey, a large
segmental bay window has brick detailing. On either side, and in the upper storey, flat-headed openings contain five-part
sliding sash windows. There are door and window openings on the remaining walls of this addition. The two-storey
additions (1956-1957 and 1976) at the west end of the property are not identified as significant elements.
The property at 410 Pape Avenue fills the block between Langley and Riverdale Avenues on the west side of Pape Avenue
in the area north of Gerrard Street East. The complex incorporates one of the oldest schools constructed for the Toronto
Board of Education. Pape Avenue Public School is a good example of period design and an important feature of the
Riverdale neighbourhood.
HERITAGE TORONTO
PROPERTY RESEARCH SUMMARY
Basic Building Data:
Address: 180 Shaw Street (southwest corner of Shaw and Argyle Streets)
Ward: 20 (Trinity-Niagara)
Current Name: Givins-Shaw Junior and Senior Public Schools
Historical Name: Givins Street Public School
Construction Date: 1914
Architect: C. H. Bishop, Superintendent of Buildings, Toronto District School Board
Contractor/Builder: none found
Additions/Alterations: 1956-1957, present Givins Street (Senior) School, 49 Givins Street;
date unknown, transoms removed on north and south entrances
Original Owner: Toronto Board of Education
Original Use: educational (public elementary school)
Current Use*: educational (public elementary school)
Heritage Category: Neighbourhood Heritage Property
Recording Date: November 1999
Recorder: HPD:KA
* this does not refer to permitted use(s) as defined in the Zoning By-law
Property Research Summary
Descriptive Information:
The property at 180 Shaw Street is identified for architectural reasons. Givins Street Public School was constructed in 1914
according to plans prepared under the direction of architect C. H. Bishop, Superintendent of Buildings for the Toronto
Board of Education. Described in contemporary sources as "the last word in public school architecture in Toronto", the
new 31-room building was the fourth school on the site. During World War I, the 123rd and 208th battalions of the Canadian
Expeditionary Force and the Royal Air Force used the school as a headquarters and barracks. A fifth school was completed
on the Givins Street frontage in 1957 for senior students. In 1966, the 1914 building was renamed Shaw Street Junior
School. The two school buildings were amalgamated in 1984 and are now known as the Givins-Shaw Junior and Senior
Public Schools. The Shaw Street portion is described in this report; the Givins Street building is not identified as a
significant feature.
The Shaw Street building of Givins Street Public School (1914) displays the monumental scale, axial planning and
Classical features identified with the Beaux Arts styling. Rising three stories, the building has a raised base with window
openings. The composition features the T-shaped plan favoured for school architecture during the World War I era. A
moulded cornice and parapets mark the flat roof. The school is clad with red brick with brick band courses and piers. Red
sandstone is applied for the raised base, band courses, cornices, spandrels with laurel wreaths and swag motifs, and door
and window detailing.
The principal (east) façade on Shaw Street is organized into three sections with a projecting centre block flanked by long
wings. The centre block is divided into three bays by a frontispiece. In the first floor, a three-part window separates a pair
of door openings with Classical detailing. Double doors and tripartite glazed transoms are set in moulded surrounds
beneath pediments with copper trim and brackets. In the upper floors, flat-headed openings contain pairs of sliding sash
windows with nine-over-one lights. The windows are separated by engaged Ionic columns and flanked by brick piers that
rise two stories. A moulded cornice with medallions and dentils surmounts the frontispiece. On either side of the centre
block, the wings are divided into two bays by brick piers with sandstone capitals. Each floor contains two sets of
flat-headed openings. The five-part sliding-sash windows have nine-over-one lights.
The end walls (north and south) have large door openings in the first floor, and flat-headed window openings with pairs of
sliding-sash windows in the upper stories. The moulded door surrounds incorporate bracketed entablatures and decorated
pediments. The window detailing on the side and rear (west) walls and on the attached (west) wing repeats the pattern
introduced on the east façade.
The property at 180 Shaw Street is located on the southwest corner of Shaw and Argyle Streets. Surrounded by a
residential neighbourhood, the Givens Street School (1914) faces east onto Shaw Street. The school is positioned so that
the principal entrance terminates the vista looking west along Lobb Avenue from Trinity Bellwoods Park. The property
contains an Ontario government plaque commemorating Colonel James Givins, Chief Superintendent of the Indian
Department of the Province of Ontario in the 1830s and a local landowner. The school is a good example of Beaux Arts
styling distinguished by its red sandstone trim.
HERITAGE TORONTO
PROPERTY RESEARCH SUMMARY
Basic Building Data:
Address: 1100 Spadina Road (northwest corner of Spadina Road and New Haven Drive)
Ward: 22 (North Toronto)
Current Name: North Preparatory Junior Public School
Historical Name: Forest Hill Village Public School
Construction Date: 1936-1937
Architect: Forsey Page and Steele with Toronto Board of Education staff
Contractor/Builder: none found
Additions/Alterations: 1952, north addition;
1971, west addition;
date unknown, window opening added to west wing
Original Owner: Toronto Board of Education
Original Use: educational (public elementary school)
Current Use*: educational (public elementary school)
Heritage Category: Neighbourhood Heritage Property
Recording Date: November 1999
Recorder: HPD:KA
* this does not refer to permitted use(s) as defined in the Zoning By-law
Property Research Summary
Descriptive Information:
The property at 1100 Spadina Road is identified for architectural reasons. Forest Hill Village Public School was
constructed in 1936-1937 according to the designs of Toronto architects Forsey Page and Steele for the Toronto Board of
Education. Forsey Page, the firm's founder, prepared the residential design guidelines for Forest Hill Village that
influenced his approach to this project.
Forest Hill Village Public School is designed in the Colonial Revival style derived from the architecture of the American
Colonies. The plan for the school recalls the University of Virginia, devised by American president Thomas Jefferson and
inspired by Palladian design. The composition is symmetrically arranged in five parts. A central building is linked to end
pavilions by enclosed wings that are slightly shorter than and set back from the adjoining sections. The complex is elevated
on a stone base that unites the various sections.
The main building features a T-shaped plan covered by a medium-pitched gable roof with returned eaves, moulded
cornices, and large brick end chimneys. An enclosed cross-gable is placed on the rear (north) slope. A wood cupola with a
copper-clad tent roof and a prominent weathervane is positioned at the centre of the roof. The principal (south) façade of
the main building displays a central entrance with four window openings on either side. A stone doorcase has incised stone
piers supporting an entablature and a segmental pediment with copper trim. The entrance contains a pair of panelled wood
doors with glazed inserts and a single transom with interlaced glazing bars. With brick voussoirs and stone sills, the
flat-headed window openings hold sliding sash windows with 12-over-12 lights. The rear wall has a fanlight window in the
enclosed gable, while the remaining openings are flat-headed with sliding sash windows.
The connecting wings feature stone cladding and gable roofs. On the south wall of each wing, a single door is placed
beside a pair of flat-headed window openings that are trimmed with wood and stone. Each opening holds a pair of windows
with intricate glazing bars. The end pavilions feature brick cladding beneath gable roofs with enclosed gables on the north
and south. The front (south) gables contain round windows. On the south wall of each pavilion, an oversized flat-headed
opening with multi-paned sash windows is flanked by sidelights. The pattern of flat-headed windows is repeated on the
side and rear walls of the wings.
A long single-storey flat-roofed addition is attached to the north wall of the west pavilion. It complements the main
complex with its scale, cladding and fenestration. A larger 2-and-1/2-storey wing is found at the west end of the west
pavilion. The north and west additions are not identified as significant features.
The property at 1100 Spadina Road is located on the west side of Spadina Road where the street ends at New Haven Drive.
The school complex is placed on a slope that looks south and west over parkland to Chaplin Crescent. At the rear of the
site, a series of Jewish burial grounds are situated along Roselawn Avenue and continue the landscaped setting. To the east,
the residential neighbourhood of Forest Hill extends along both sides of Spadina Road. Designed by one of Toronto's most
prominent 20th century architectural firms, Forest Hill Village Public School is an excellent example of Colonial Revival
design. With its parklike setting and residential appearance, the school is an important feature of the Forest Hill Village
neighbourhood.
HERITAGE TORONTO
PROPERTY RESEARCH SUMMARY
Basic Building Data:
Address: 24 Williamson Road (north side of Williamson Road, midway between Southwood Drive and Lee Avenue)
Ward: 26 (East Toronto)
Current Name: Williamson Road Junior Public School
Historical Name: Williamson Road Public School
Construction Date: 1912
Architect: C. H. Bishop, Superintendent of Buildings, Toronto Board of
Education
Contractor/Builder: none found
Additions/Alterations: date unknown: west addition;
1961: Glen Ames Public School
Original Owner: Toronto Board of Education
Original Use: educational (public elementary school)
Current Use*: educational (public elementary school)
Heritage Category: Neighbourhood Heritage Property
Recording Date: November 1999
Recorder: HPD:KA
* this does not refer to permitted use(s) as defined in the Zoning By-law
Property Research Summary
Descriptive Information:
The property at 24 Williamson Road is identified for architectural reasons. Williamson Road Public School was
constructed in 1912 according to plans supervised by architect C. H. Bishop, Superintendent of Buildings for the Toronto
Board of Education. The property also includes Glen Ames Public School; it is not identified as a significant feature.
Williamson Road Public School displays the monumental scale, axial planning and Classical detailing identified with
Beaux Arts styling. The structure rises three stories over a raised stone base with window openings. The flat roof covering
the building has brick parapets on the south and north elevations and a single chimney in the centre. Red brick is applied
for overall cladding and for belt courses on the lower walls and patterned brickwork on the spandrels and parapets.
Contrasting stone is used for base courses, multiple band courses, cornices, quoins, and door and window detailing.
The long principal (south) façade is symmetrically organized into seven sections. The centre bay projects slightly beneath a
pediment with a stone ornament. An oversized segmental bay window fills the lower storey. In the second and third floors,
a flat-headed opening contains five sliding sash windows with six-over-one lights. The pattern of fenestration is repeated in
the adjacent bays. In the first bay from either end, three-storey projecting frontispieces contain entrances to the school.
Doorcases with entablatures and round-arched openings contain double doors and single transoms. There are flat-headed
three-part windows above the entries. The end bays are blank.
The side walls (east and west) display two flat-headed window openings in each floor. The rear (north) wall follows the
principal façade with its seven-bay arrangement. At the centre, the lower floor has three round-arched window openings
with brick and stone voussoirs and stone keystones. The openings in the upper stories, as well as those in the flanking bays,
are flat-headed and contain five sliding sash windows with six-over-one lights. The frontispieces, found in the first bay
from either end, have entrances at ground level. Double doors are surmounted by nameplates, entablatures resting on
curved brackets, and round-arched three-part transoms with brick and stone detailing. The door at the east end is marked
"BOYS", while the west door reads "GIRLS". The end bays are blank.
The property at 24 Williamson Road is located on the north side of Williamson Road, midway between Southwood Drive
and Lee Avenue. The property is located on a rise of land that terminates the vista north from Queen Street East on Wineva
Avenue. Williamson Road Public School is a good example of Beaux Arts styling and an important component of the
Beach neighbourhood.