Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Tuesday Treasure Around the World



Toronto ON

The York Club is a private social club that was incorporated on November 22, 1909. It is located at 135 St. George Street in The Annex neighbourhood of central Toronto, close to the University of Toronto.

George Gooderham residence, northeast corner of St. George and Bloor streets, 1892. Credit: City of Toronto Archives.



The club's building was originally constructed between 1889 and 1892 as a residence for businessman George Gooderham Sr. (1830–1905) and his large family. Gooderham was a son of William Gooderham (1790–1881) and served as president of the Gooderham and Worts distillery. Click on Distillery District in the labels/tags below this post to find numerous posts about this fabulous spot.




The house was designed in the Romanesque Revival style by architect David Roberts Jr., who also designed the Gooderham Building downtown.


The "flatiron" building's triangular shape results from the confluence of Wellington Street, which follows the traditional Town of York grid, with Front Street, the irregular diagonal line derived from the 19th-century waterfront. The four-and-a-half-storey red brick building is set on a high foundation that rises a half-storey above ground. A string course divides the second and third floors, with a decorative frieze and cornice above the fourth floor. A steeply pitched copper clad roof is pierced by a number of decorative dormers. A prominent tower with ogee arch windows distinguishes the roof line at the apex of the building. A textured façade results from a dominant pattern of fenestration on all floors. There are hood mouldings over the fourth floor windows. The brick work on the Gooderham Building is exceptional both in terms of the quality of the red bricks and the miniscule thickness of the modern joints.



After Gooderham died in May 1905, at the age of 75, his widow Harriet Gooderham (née Dean) sold the house and moved to a smaller home nearby at 224 St. George Street. The York Club has owned the building since 1910.



8 comments:

  1. In b/w it looks a tad scary.
    And the flatiron... huhhhh. Come strong wind...?

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  2. ...I have always been a fan of red sandstone buildings, we have a number in this area too. We also have a couple of "flatiron" buildings, but the Gooderham building is gorgeous. I had hoped to visit Toronto this summer, but that is on hold because of this health mess. Thanks Jackie for sharing, take care and stay well.

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    1. You better let me know when you do come to Toronto, would love to hang out with you!

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  3. We missed seeing Toronto's own flatiron building. Impressive enough.

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  4. Nice brick work. I've seen triangular buildings elsewhere, making the most of the space available.

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  5. This is so nice - classic and beautiful.
    Thank you for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-explorer.html. Stay well!

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  6. Such beautiful buildings. I can only imagine how grand the 'social club' must have been during its heyday. Love old buildings with character like this. The triangle building looks like a couple of Seattle's! Take care - stay healthy!

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