Inclusion on the City of Toronto
Inventory of Heritage Properties - School Properties
The Toronto Community Council recommends the adoption of the following
report (December 16, 1999) from the Managing Director, Toronto Historical
Board:
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
_________
(Communication (November 16, 1999) from the
Managing Director, Heritage Toronto)
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.
_________
(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.
_________
(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.
_________
(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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
Map 1
Map 2
Map 3
Map 4
Map 5
Map 6
Map 7
Map 8
Map 9
Map 10
Map 11
Map 12
Map 13
Map 14
Map 15
Map 16
