Tuesday, March 19, 2013

The Old Neighbour

The lovely brick building shown here in the foreground is Campbell House which is the oldest remaining home from the Town of York which was the original name of Toronto. This Georgian beauty was built in 1822 in a residential area with a view to the lake but by the 1960s the area had become commercial/industrial and it was the last home standing. A move was afoot to tear it down until a group organized a move to this spot at University and Queen St and turned it into a museum. The 1 mile move took place on Easter weekend in 1972 and was a major event in the city as hydro lines and lights had to be taken down and traffic in the centre of the city was brought to a standstill. I'm aging myself by saying that I remember the move well and watched it for hours along with hundreds of others!  More about the Canada Life building in the background tomorrow.
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11 comments:

  1. ArtandArchitecture-SF.comMarch 19, 2013 at 10:13 AM

    Gorgeous building, thank goodness for concerned and active citizens.

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  2. SharonMarch 19, 2013 at 12:45 PM

    Moving a beautiful home like this is a huge undertaking. I have to admire the people who can figure out how to do something so difficult without causing irreparable damage.

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  3. HalcyonMarch 19, 2013 at 2:24 PM

    Love the sky! Wish we were seeing some of that now.

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  4. LowellMarch 19, 2013 at 3:25 PM

    Thanks for this! It's a gorgeous building and I think it's wonderful the structure was saved, moved and restored!

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  5. DebMarch 19, 2013 at 5:50 PM

    Nice perspective. Goodness that must have been some sight to see it on the move. The spire behind looks like it should have King Kong hanging off it!

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  6. RandyMarch 19, 2013 at 9:30 PM

    That's a beautiful home.

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  7. JackMarch 19, 2013 at 9:39 PM

    It is a good thing that it was preserved. I like the contrast with the stately (but newer and grayer) Canada Life building behind it.

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  8. Paul in Powell RiverMarch 19, 2013 at 11:46 PM

    Now how could anyone even contemplate tearing down something that looks that good?

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  9. PerthDailyPhotoMarch 20, 2013 at 9:33 AM

    You mean they uplifted the whole building and moved it? Awesome! What a huge undertaking, but so glad they did. The first thing I thought when I saw it was 'Gone with the Wind'.. !

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  10. EG CameraGirlMarch 20, 2013 at 1:16 PM

    So much of old Toronto is gone forever. It's wonderful that at least a bit of it has been preserved.

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  11. William KendallMarch 31, 2013 at 4:08 PM

    It's a beautiful house.

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