Lambton House
Encyclopedia
Lambton House is a historic former inn in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
. It is the last remaining building from the former village of Lambton Mills along the Humber River
in the 19th century.
mill, a saw mill, a wool
en mill, stables, a general store and a post office. The brick work was designed by architect William Tyrrell, father of cartographer Joseph Tyrrell
. The building, and most of the surrounding land, was owned by William Pearce Howland, Ontario's second Lieutenant Governor
and a Father of Confederation. He named the area Lambton in honour of John George Lambton, Earl of Durham.
Located on Dundas Highway
, a major route in the late 1800s, the hotel was quite busy, and it became a popular picnic spot around the turn of the century. The house survived a devastating fire in 1915 and Hurricane Hazel
in 1954. Although it was designated as an historical site by the then City of York
in 1985, the building faced the wrecking ball when the last owners vacated the building and sold it to developers in 1988. At the time, it was the longest running licenced tavern in Ontario.
Lambton House was restored in 1991 (with additional work done in 1994, 1998 and 2002). The only surviving building from the era of the mills along the Humber, it is a designated building under the Ontario Heritage Act, and a National Historic Site commemorating William Howland. The building is now owned and operated as a museum by a local non-profit group.
:
, CHIN
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
.
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....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is the last remaining building from the former village of Lambton Mills along the Humber River
Humber River (Ontario)
The Humber River is one of two major rivers on either side of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the other being the Don River to the east. It was designated a Canadian Heritage River on September 24, 1999....
in the 19th century.
History
Built in 1847, Lambton House was part of the Lambton Mills complex which also included a large gristGrist
Grist is grain that has been separated from its chaff in preparation for grinding. It can also mean grain that has been ground at a grist mill. Its etymology derives from the verb grind....
mill, a saw mill, a wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
en mill, stables, a general store and a post office. The brick work was designed by architect William Tyrrell, father of cartographer Joseph Tyrrell
Joseph Tyrrell
Joseph Burr Tyrrell was a Canadian geologist, cartographer, and mining consultant. He discovered dinosaur bones in Alberta's Badlands and coal around Drumheller in 1884....
. The building, and most of the surrounding land, was owned by William Pearce Howland, Ontario's second Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario
The Lieutenant Governor of Ontario is the viceregal representative in Ontario of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the United...
and a Father of Confederation. He named the area Lambton in honour of John George Lambton, Earl of Durham.
Located on Dundas Highway
Dundas Street (Toronto)
Dundas Street, also known as Highway 5 west of Toronto, is a major arterial road connecting the centre of that city with its western suburbs and southwestern Ontario beyond...
, a major route in the late 1800s, the hotel was quite busy, and it became a popular picnic spot around the turn of the century. The house survived a devastating fire in 1915 and Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel
Hurricane Hazel was the deadliest and costliest hurricane of the 1954 Atlantic hurricane season. The storm killed as many as 1,000 people in Haiti before striking the United States near the border between North and South Carolina, as a Category 4 hurricane...
in 1954. Although it was designated as an historical site by the then City of York
York, Ontario
York is a dissolved municipality in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Geographically, it is located northwest of Old Toronto, southwest of North York and east of Etobicoke, where it is bounded by the Humber River. Formerly a separate city, it was one of six municipalities that amalgamated in 1998 to form...
in 1985, the building faced the wrecking ball when the last owners vacated the building and sold it to developers in 1988. At the time, it was the longest running licenced tavern in Ontario.
Lambton House was restored in 1991 (with additional work done in 1994, 1998 and 2002). The only surviving building from the era of the mills along the Humber, it is a designated building under the Ontario Heritage Act, and a National Historic Site commemorating William Howland. The building is now owned and operated as a museum by a local non-profit group.
See also
Other surviving taverns and inns in TorontoToronto
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...
:
- Duke of York InnDuke of York InnThe Duke of York is a restaurant/pub that was a 19th Century inn in Toronto, Ontario located at 1225 Queen Street East. The first Duke of York was an inn with a restaurant/pub on the main floor. The inn no longer operates, but the restaurant and bar is still in business. For many years a mural of...
- Miller TavernMiller TavernThe Miller Tavern was one of many 19th century inns along Yonge Street in Toronto, Ontario .Originally called the York Mills Hotel, the three storey building dates to the 1860s. A barn to house horses was located on the north side of the building...
- Montgomery's InnMontgomery's InnMontgomery's Inn is a historic home and inn in the Islington neighbourhood of Etobicoke in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Built in 1832 in a Georgian style with later additions, the inn has been restored to an 1847 period, and operates as a museum of the City of Toronto. Once in danger of...
- Spadina HotelSpadina HotelThe Spadina Hotel is youth hostel located at Spadina Avenue and King Street, just south of Chinatown in Toronto.Built in the late 1873, the three storey Victorian building features a small clock on the east facade. In the early 1900s it was the Hotel Falconer and shared the corner with another...
- Wheat Sheaf Tavern
Affiliations
The Museum is affiliated with: CMACanadian Museums Association
The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...
, CHIN
Canadian Heritage Information Network
The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...
, and Virtual Museum of Canada
Virtual Museum of Canada
The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...
.