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36-462: The first house constructed on the site was built in 1818 by Dr. William Warren Baldwin . He named his 200-acre (81 ha) property and estate Spadina , which derived from the Ojibwe word espadinong , which translates as "hill" or "sudden rise of land"; it is located at the top of an escarpment . Baldwin himself designed the two storey wood-frame house. The house burnt down in 1835, and owing to

72-480: A convention of pronouncing Spadina Road with the i as /aɪ/ as in mine , and Spadina House with the i as in /iː/ as in ski. Occasionally, Spadina Road is pronounced the second way. South of Bloor Street , however, Spadina Road becomes Spadina Avenue , which is always pronounced the first way. The distinction between the two ways was once an economic class marker in Toronto with the upper classes favouring

108-574: A movement to draft Baldwin to accept the reform nomination to replace him. Baldwin, however, was reticent about accepting. The violence of the Yonge Street Durham meeting had led to strenuous objections from his wife who was "quite terrified" at the thought of his re-entering politics. He ultimately accepted only when Robert quieted his mother's fears in early August. He quickly abandoned the plan when Robert suggested that Louis LaFontaine run in his stead. In late 1843, Sir Charles Metcalfe ,

144-585: A nineteen-year-old member of the Children of Peace , David Leppard, was struck in the temple with a rock with such force that he was knocked from his wagon; he was to die soon after. The death - which was never punished - formed an alliance between the Baldwin family and the Children of Peace. When Robert Baldwin gave up his seat in the riding of 4th York to take a seat in Hastings, the Children of Peace began

180-514: Is at the southern end of the northern section of Spadina Road , on top of Davenport Hill, an escarpment which was the shore of prehistoric Lake Iroquois . Immediately east was Sir John Craig Eaton and Lady Eaton 's massive Italianate palace and estate, Ardwold . Just around the corner on Austin Terrace, on the lot adjacent to Spadina House, is Casa Loma , a stately pile built in 1911 by Major-General Sir Henry Mill Pellatt . The architecture of

216-401: Is protected by law under the “Ravine and Natural Feature Protection By-law”. This estate originally included 200 acres of farmland. There were 200 feet of trees between the house's initial frame and the edge of the ridge in the south of the property, still providing an unbroken view of Downtown Toronto and Lake Iroquois . Spadina House's landscape features include formal gardens, the old Orchard,

252-645: The Scarborough Bluffs also formed part of the shoreline of the ancient lake. In Mississauga , the shoreline is found south of Dundas Street and most visible with hills found east and west of Mavis Road. Another ancient shoreline exists between 2–4 km offshore of Toronto. It is known as the Toronto Scarp and formed the shore of Glacial Lake Warren or Admiralty Lake . From Bluffer's Park in Scarborough to just west of Hanlan's Point

288-680: The Upper Canada Rebellion , preferring to work through lawful means. Having spoken directly with Lord Durham in 1838, and seeing that Durham had incorporated the call for " responsible government " in his official report, Baldwin was emboldened to resume direct political participation once more. He and 222 inhabitants of the Home district petitioned Sheriff William Jarvis to call a public meeting to discuss Durham's recommendation on responsible government in August 1839. Jarvis, however,

324-550: The 1920s and 1930s”. A seasonal excursion at the Spadina House is “Flashman versus Evil: A Grudge Match-recreated 1930’s Radio Play”. This excursion has been on exhibit four times, during the holiday season, and recreates 1930's live radio shows for the visitors to experience Radio how the inhabitants of the Spadina House would have in the 1930s. The Spadina Historic house is known as a desirable location for photography, film shots, weddings, and corporate functions. The house

360-476: The Austin Home is inspired by the second empire architectural style combined with elements of later Victorian and Edwardian style. The exterior features that it is known for are its bay windows, its brick and stone terrace, the brick chimneys, and the botanically themed carved keystones. The estate ground's oldest building is a wood stable from the mid-19th century, which was attached to the old coach house, and

396-526: The City of Toronto. The museum's visitors learn and experience how Torontonians lived during the early 20th Century. Tours are scheduled at set times each day, that explore political, economic and social themes of that time period. The restoration process of the museum is also offered in “The restoration tour”. Other possible excursions available include “It’s a Kid’s Life” and “Meet the Austins: A Toronto Family in

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432-556: The Durham militia and a justice of the peace in 1800. William found few patients in Durham, so he moved to the town of York (Toronto) and took up other occupations. In 1803, he was admitted to the bar and, in 1809, he became a district court judge. He served several terms as Treasurer of the Law Society of Upper Canada . William married Phœbe Willcocks, daughter of William Willcocks, in 1803. Phœbe and her unmarried sister inherited

468-676: The Governor General, appointed Baldwin to the Legislative Council of the United Canadas. It was an honour he enjoyed for only a few weeks. He died at Toronto January 8, 1844, aged 69. Banks in this period did not have savings accounts. In order to encourage the working poor of the city to save for periods of unemployment, the Lt. Governor pushed for the establishment of a Home District Savings Bank on June 5, 1830 "for

504-510: The House of Industry were left to a three-member "weekly committee" composed of Baldwin, the Baptist preacher Alexander Stewart, and John Powell, an attorney. Under Baldwin's leadership, the House of Industry applied for, and was granted, 4 acres of land within the city, which it planned to cultivate with the help of its inmates. Although only granted 4 acres, the reformers had sought 50. The intent

540-508: The addition of a third floor in 1912. He sold much of the property to the City of Toronto in 1913 for the construction of the St. Clair Reservoir. Albert Austin died in 1933. The last member of the family to live in the house was Anna Kathleen Thompson, a daughter of Albert Austin, who lived there from 1942 until 1982. The aged house had outdated wiring and needed a thorough overhaul, that would have been far more expensive than rebuilding it. While

576-411: The area was the wealthiest in Toronto, with a number of Toronto's leading families having large estates. Austin subdivided and sold off the land west of Spadina Road in 1889, which amounted to 40 acres (16 ha). In 1892, James Austin turned over the house, and 20 acres (8.1 ha) of the property to his son, Albert William Austin . Albert Austin expanded the house in several renovations, including

612-471: The earnings of Journeymen Tradesmen, Mechanics, Servants, Labourers." Baldwin was one of the 7 directors. Baldwin was the president of the York Board of Health established to contain the 1832 Cholera epidemic. Baldwin was elected the vice-president of the newly founded Toronto Mechanics Institute in 1830, and remained in that role until elected president in 1834 until 1837. The day-to-day operations of

648-520: The estate of their father in 1813, and their cousin Elizabeth Russell in 1822. William inherited his father Robert Baldwin Sr's 200-acre estate in 1817. With this wealth they built an estate in 1818 on the future site of Spadina House and laid out the grand avenue, Spadina , that was to link it to the city. The house burned down in 1835 and was rebuilt on the same foundations. The current building

684-495: The house could have been sold to private interests, the family decided instead to donate the house and all of its furnishings to the city. In 1984 it opened as a museum, jointly owned by the city and the Ontario Heritage Foundation and operated by the City of Toronto. The museum is especially known for its gardens. The Spadina historic house and gardens is one of ten historic museums operated and owned by

720-549: The inventory of “Toronto’s Heritage Properties”. The jury who decides on the winners of the award focus on several different aspects, such as: whether the new building or structure meets current needs, was restored using the appropriate materials, kept a significant portion of the original building's design, use of sound conservation and of course quality of craftsmanship. William Warren Baldwin William Warren Baldwin (April 25, 1775 – January 8, 1844)

756-637: The medical school at the University of Edinburgh in 1797. Faced with the prospect of the uprising of the Society of United Irishmen in 1798, he came to Upper Canada with his father and family, arriving in July 1799. The family moved to Clarke Township in Durham County (his father acquired land at the foot of Toronto Street between Wilmot Creek and Bond Head, where he became a lieutenant-colonel in

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792-401: The original family's artefacts. The wallpaper, the kitchen, the bathroom, and bedroom closet were remodelled. Stuffed wolves found in the family's archives are now placed at the entryway of the museum. Additionally, the artwork included in the remodel was a statue from France of a woman. Due to the blue and pink colors of the sculpture, the museum staff nicknamed it “Wonder Woman”. Another part of

828-400: The remodelling was the addition of a mechanical chair used by Albert Austen when he lost mobility. The entirety of the chair moves and is kept as an artefact as it was designed by him for himself. This chair resembles a “ La-Z-Boy chair ". The City of Toronto invested about 600,000 dollars towards the revitalization of the Spadina House to present day. The natural landscape of the Spadina House

864-774: The second pronunciation. Now, however, even the official TTC stop announcements pronounce the i in Spadina as the one in mine . Spadina Museum was jointly awarded the Peggi Armstrong Public Archaeology Award along with the Ontario Heritage Trust in 2004. Spadina Museum was awarded the Ontario Museum Association Award of Merit in conjunction with Dawn Roach Bowen for their Black History Month programme Meet Mrs. Pipkin in 2002. Mrs. Pipkin

900-571: The southeast, through a channel passing near present day Rome, New York . The Rome Sand Plains has several sand ridges that geologists think were formed at this time. The channel then followed the valley of the Mohawk River to the Hudson River . The lake was fed by Early Lake Erie , as well as Glacial Lake Algonquin , an early partial manifestation of Lake Huron , that drained directly to Lake Iroquois across southern Ontario , along

936-729: The southern edge of the ice sheet, bypassing Early Lake Erie. The subsequent melting of the ice dam resulted in a sudden lowering of the lake to its present level, a potential trigger for the Younger Dryas episode. Two ancient shorelines in the Toronto area mark the existence of former glacial lakes. About 2 km inland from the shore, a ridge known as the Iroquois Shoreline can be discerned. The old shoreline runs west-east, running roughly parallel to Davenport Road just south of St. Clair Avenue West. Further east,

972-532: The stone pergola, the fieldstone wall, and the Battery constructed by James and Susan. There are presently 6 acres of restored 1905 Gardens. These 6 acres hold more than 300 varieties of flowers and vegetables. The name and pronunciation of the “Spadina House” is rooted from the Ojibway word “Espadinong” which signifies “Hill”. It was adopted as a name for the home and the street by Baldwin. Many Torontonians follow

1008-415: The three mile (5 km) trek from the estate into York , he moved to a house on Front Street . He built a smaller country estate on the property in 1836. In 1866 the property was acquired by James Austin , founder of The Dominion Bank and Consumers Gas. By this time, parts of the property had been sold off, and what Austin purchased covered 80 acres (32 ha). In the 19th and early 20th century

1044-577: Was a laundress at the Spadina house in the 1860s, where she came after escaping slavery in the United States . “Spadina Museum was nominated for the 2013 Toronto Heritage Award in the William Greer Architectural Conservation and Craftsmanship category” This award category was created to honor the owners who restored structures or buildings that, either have existed for 40 years or more, or are included in

1080-560: Was a medical doctor, businessman, lawyer, judge, architect and reform politician in Upper Canada . He, and his son Robert Baldwin , are recognized for having introduced the concept of " responsible government ", the principle of cabinet rule on which Canadian democracy is based. William Warren Baldwin was born in County Cork , Ireland in 1775 of Robert Baldwin Sr. (1741-1816) and Barbara Spread (1748-1791). William graduated from

1116-494: Was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed at the end of the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago. The lake was essentially an enlargement of the present Lake Ontario that formed because the St. Lawrence River downstream from the lake was blocked by the ice sheet near the present Thousand Islands . The level of the lake was approximately 30 m (~100 ft) above the present level of Lake Ontario. The lake drained to

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1152-433: Was built on the original foundations. In 1820, he was elected to the 8th Parliament of Upper Canada representing York & Simcoe . In 1829-30 he represented Norfolk County in the 10th Parliament . His record shows he was no foe of aristocracy, and should be considered a whig constitutionalist. Baldwin's status as gentleman added legitimacy to the reform policies on responsible government that he supported. When he

1188-1153: Was clearly to establish an "agricultural colony" for the poor – most of whom were pauper emigrants – in keeping with the 1834 published suggestion of Baldwin's cousin James Buchanan (the British Consul and emigrant agent for Upper Canada in New York) for an "emigrant depot". William Lyon Mackenzie James Lesslie John Rolph William John O'Grady Henry John Boulton David Willson Samuel Hughes John McIntosh Marshall Spring Bidwell Robert Baldwin William Warren Baldwin Francis Hincks Charles Duncombe Samuel Lount Peter Matthews Jesse Lloyd Anthony Van Egmond Thomas D. Morrison David Gibson James Hervey Price Joseph Shepard Glacial Lake Iroquois Glacial Lake Iroquois

1224-709: Was not re-elected in 1831, he bitterly left politics and focused on other causes such as the response to the 1832 Cholera epidemic, the Mechanics Institute and the House of Refuge and Industry. He was appointed director of the Dispensary by John Rolph . In 1836, he became a member of the Constitutional Reform Society of Upper Canada. Lieutenant Governor Sir Francis Bond Head removed him from his appointments as judge. However, Baldwin, although he supported reform, did not endorse

1260-516: Was once used as a gardener's shed until the end of the 1920s. The interior of the house showcases the Victorian and Edwardian components through its floating staircase in the central hall, high baseboards, ceiling medallions, plaster crown mouldings and hardwood floors. This home is separated into 14 rooms and six common areas, in which various new art pieces and decorations are showcased. The remodelling in 2010 added specific studied reproductions of

1296-515: Was swayed by "the influential part of the inhabitants" and refused the reformers. The petitioners decided to call a meeting of the "friends of Responsible Government" for the 15th of October outside the city. When Baldwin called the meeting to order, Jarvis led an Orange Tory mob , which tore a fence apart, and began beating the defenseless crowd. Jarvis led a charge on the wagon on which Baldwin and Francis Hincks were perched, shouting "Down with them! Down with them!" The meeting broke up, but not before

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