Guild Inn
Encyclopedia
The Guild Inn was an historic hotel in the Guildwood
neighbourhood of Scarborough
, Toronto
, Ontario
. It evolved out of Ranelagh Park, a 33 room, Arts and Crafts
-style manor house built in 1914 for Colonel Harold Bickford atop the Scarborough Bluffs
, that was in 1921 sold to the Roman Catholic Church
's Foreign Mission Society and renamed the China Mission College. It was, however, soon abandoned, remaining so until 1932, when it was purchased by Rosa Breithaupt Hewetson. After her marriage to Herbert Spencer Clark, the couple continued to reside in the mansion, and there fostered the arts, turning the home into a museum, so that by the time of the Second World War
it had became The Guild of All Arts. The Clarks created across their property homes and workshops for artists, such as The Studio, which was assembled out of a garage and a stable from different parts of the grounds; it accommodated those practising batik
, woodworking
, weaving
, and metalworking
. The Clarks also began collecting architectural elements from demolished buildings and erecting them in the gardens of the Guild as follies
.
As more people were attracted to the artistic community on the bluffs, the Clarks made additions to the Guild in 1941 and 1942, after which the Crown in Right of Canada
leased the property as a base for the Women's Royal Naval Service
, called HMCS
Bytown II, and following the conclusion of hostilities in Europe
, retained it until 1947 as Scarborough Hall, a hospital for the treatment of nervous disorders. The house was returned to the Clarks, who restored to its pre-war functions, but were forced by rising property taxes to only six years later sell 400 acres (1.6 km²) of their land to developers, though Spencer Clark oversaw the planning of the area that would become Guildwood Village. On the remaining 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) around the Guild itself, the Clarks continued collecting and adding to their array of architectural remnants, as Victorian
, Beaux-Arts, and Gothic Revival
buildings throughout the city were pulled down to make way for Toronto's post-war growth and new attitudes towards planning. Altogether, pieces of more than 60 structures were amassed, from buildings such as the Toronto Bank Building and the home of Sir Frederick Banting
, as well as various pieces of artwork, including 14 by Sorel Etrog
. The Guild Inn proved so popular as a lakeside resort and artisans' community that in 1965 a six storey, 100 room addition and a swimming pool were added, plus further renovations in 1968.
A decade following, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
purchased the Guild Inn and continued its operation as a hotel. The inn's fortunes declined over the years, however, as the city of Scarborough grew more urban around it, making it less desirable as a vacation spot yet still too far from the city core to serve as a utilitarian hotel. In 1993, with the buildings noticeably run down, the property was turned over to the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto
, which used the park and structures for private functions; namely, wedding photo shoots. Still, by 2001 the hotel and restaurant were closed, with only the park remaining open to the public, while new tenants were sought. A non-profit group called Artscape approached the city with a proposed strategy for a cultural precinct on the Guild Inn site, which was met with interest. More concrete plans came, however, in September 2008, when the city approved a plan by Centennial College to operate a hotel, restaurant, and conference centre on the site for use in the school's hospitality courses, as well as to act as a location to house the college's Cultural and Heritage Institute. Though a fire on 25 December 2008 destroyed The Studio, preparations for Centennial's development continued, and the city in January 2009 approved the demolition of the hotel tower.
From 1998 to 2003 The Gardens and Greek Theatre at the The Guild Inn were home to the award-winning theatre company, Cliffhanger Productions, which specialized in adaptations of world mythology for family audiences.
Guildwood
Guildwood, also known as Guildwood Village, is a historic and residential neighbourhood in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located along the Scarborough Bluffs, south of Kingston Road, from Grey Abbey Trail in the east to the end of Sylvan Avenue in the west.-History:Guildwood village...
neighbourhood of Scarborough
Scarborough, Ontario
Scarborough is a dissolved municipality within the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it comprises the eastern part of Toronto. It is bordered on the south by Lake Ontario, on the west by Victoria Park Avenue, on the north by Steeles Avenue East, and on the east by the Rouge River...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. It evolved out of Ranelagh Park, a 33 room, Arts and Crafts
Arts and Crafts movement
Arts and Crafts was an international design philosophy that originated in England and flourished between 1860 and 1910 , continuing its influence until the 1930s...
-style manor house built in 1914 for Colonel Harold Bickford atop the Scarborough Bluffs
Scarborough Bluffs
The Scarborough Bluffs is an escarpment in Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Forming much of the eastern portion of Toronto's waterfront, it is located along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. At its highest point, the escarpment rises above its foot and spans a length of...
, that was in 1921 sold to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
's Foreign Mission Society and renamed the China Mission College. It was, however, soon abandoned, remaining so until 1932, when it was purchased by Rosa Breithaupt Hewetson. After her marriage to Herbert Spencer Clark, the couple continued to reside in the mansion, and there fostered the arts, turning the home into a museum, so that by the time of the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
it had became The Guild of All Arts. The Clarks created across their property homes and workshops for artists, such as The Studio, which was assembled out of a garage and a stable from different parts of the grounds; it accommodated those practising batik
Batik
Batik is a cloth that traditionally uses a manual wax-resist dyeing technique. Batik or fabrics with the traditional batik patterns are found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, China, Azerbaijan, India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Nigeria, Senegal, and Singapore.Javanese traditional batik, especially from...
, woodworking
Woodworking
Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...
, weaving
Weaving
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making and felting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft or filling...
, and metalworking
Metalworking
Metalworking is the process of working with metals to create individual parts, assemblies, or large scale structures. The term covers a wide range of work from large ships and bridges to precise engine parts and delicate jewelry. It therefore includes a correspondingly wide range of skills,...
. The Clarks also began collecting architectural elements from demolished buildings and erecting them in the gardens of the Guild as follies
Folly
In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...
.
As more people were attracted to the artistic community on the bluffs, the Clarks made additions to the Guild in 1941 and 1942, after which the Crown in Right of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
leased the property as a base for the Women's Royal Naval Service
Women's Royal Naval Service
The Women's Royal Naval Service was the women's branch of the Royal Navy.Members included cooks, clerks, wireless telegraphists, radar plotters, weapons analysts, range assessors, electricians and air mechanics...
, called HMCS
Her Majesty's Canadian Ship
The designation Her Majesty's Canadian Ship , is applied as a prefix to any Canadian Forces warship. In the reign of a king, the designation changes to His Majesty's Canadian Ship; the French version of the title remains unchanged in this instance...
Bytown II, and following the conclusion of hostilities in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, retained it until 1947 as Scarborough Hall, a hospital for the treatment of nervous disorders. The house was returned to the Clarks, who restored to its pre-war functions, but were forced by rising property taxes to only six years later sell 400 acres (1.6 km²) of their land to developers, though Spencer Clark oversaw the planning of the area that would become Guildwood Village. On the remaining 90 acres (364,217.4 m²) around the Guild itself, the Clarks continued collecting and adding to their array of architectural remnants, as Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
, Beaux-Arts, and Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
buildings throughout the city were pulled down to make way for Toronto's post-war growth and new attitudes towards planning. Altogether, pieces of more than 60 structures were amassed, from buildings such as the Toronto Bank Building and the home of Sir Frederick Banting
Frederick Banting
Sir Frederick Grant Banting, KBE, MC, FRS, FRSC was a Canadian medical scientist, doctor and Nobel laureate noted as one of the main discoverers of insulin....
, as well as various pieces of artwork, including 14 by Sorel Etrog
Sorel Etrog
Sorel Etrog, is a Romanian-born Canadian artist, writer, and philosopher best known for his work as a sculptor.Born in Iaşi, Romania, in 1933, Sorel Etrog's formal art training began in 1945. In 1950, his family immigrated to Israel, where beginning in 1953 he studied at the Institute of Painting...
. The Guild Inn proved so popular as a lakeside resort and artisans' community that in 1965 a six storey, 100 room addition and a swimming pool were added, plus further renovations in 1968.
A decade following, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority or Office de protection de la nature de Toronto et de la région is one of 36 conservation authorities in Ontario, Canada...
purchased the Guild Inn and continued its operation as a hotel. The inn's fortunes declined over the years, however, as the city of Scarborough grew more urban around it, making it less desirable as a vacation spot yet still too far from the city core to serve as a utilitarian hotel. In 1993, with the buildings noticeably run down, the property was turned over to the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto
Metropolitan Toronto
The Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto was a senior level of municipal government in the Toronto, Ontario, Canada area from 1954 to 1998. It was created out of York County and was a precursor to the later concept of a regional municipality, being formed of smaller municipalities but having more...
, which used the park and structures for private functions; namely, wedding photo shoots. Still, by 2001 the hotel and restaurant were closed, with only the park remaining open to the public, while new tenants were sought. A non-profit group called Artscape approached the city with a proposed strategy for a cultural precinct on the Guild Inn site, which was met with interest. More concrete plans came, however, in September 2008, when the city approved a plan by Centennial College to operate a hotel, restaurant, and conference centre on the site for use in the school's hospitality courses, as well as to act as a location to house the college's Cultural and Heritage Institute. Though a fire on 25 December 2008 destroyed The Studio, preparations for Centennial's development continued, and the city in January 2009 approved the demolition of the hotel tower.
From 1998 to 2003 The Gardens and Greek Theatre at the The Guild Inn were home to the award-winning theatre company, Cliffhanger Productions, which specialized in adaptations of world mythology for family audiences.