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FRIENDS OF WALNUT HALL SAD AND SINISTER HISTORY OF HISTORIC WALNUT HALL Walnut Hall is no more. Abandoned and neglected for the last 30 years, this important piece of Toronto’s architectural history expired on this Victoria Day weekend, or as some would say, was put to death. Having sat on the auction block for some 8 years, it has been recently sold for $1.8 million to a residential developer. The neighbourhood, justifiably cynical about the intent to preserve this landmark, did not hold its breath as neither the new owner nor the city made any effort to announce the news for the preservation and redevelopment of this historic property. And then, on the sunny Saturday afternoon when the city emptied, the north wall of the building started to disintegrate. First slowly, then with some acceleration, the middle part of the wall crumbled. By 10 o’clock, city inspectors tried to reassure homeowners in direct proximity that there was no danger to their properties. When queried about the fate of the historic building, they reserved judgment until the investigation took its course. By 6 o’clock Sunday morning, a pile of rubble was what was left of the handsome building. For a city that took ages to enforce any protective measures when the building needed it most, first as a municipal property then as a federal one, the speed with which the building met its demise is surprising. The last few inspections pronounced the building safe. As such, it was used in recent film and TV productions – it was also visited by what appeared to be the new owner’s maintenance crew. During this extraordinarily speedy demolition, the new owner was mysteriously absent, apparently his name not known either to city inspectors or the police. The last decade in the life of this heritage property is both sad and sinister – it’s a tale of corruption and shady deals to secure extraordinary zoning allowances that in turn guaranteed the asking price in excess of $2 million for a partnership that included a former municipal commissioner of properties and an executive assistant to a former mayor. Having waived all conditions that would secure preservation of this architectural heritage, first the municipal Committee of Adjustment and then the provincial OMB signed off on a blatant manipulation of the Official Plan. The role former and current government representatives played in this saga is unsavoury, and as such has shred whatever confidence we as citizens have in the integrity and competence of our regulatory institutions including Heritage Departments. WALNUT HALL - Brief History
The property along Shuter Street, subdivided into lots, was acquired in 1853 by John O’Donohoe, a city alderman at the time. Designed by John Tully a couple of years later, Walnut Hall was constructed as a series of Georgian rowhouses facing Shutter Street.
1853-55 John Tully designs a Georgian style house complex known as the O’Donohue Row. |
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he area north of present King Street was once crown lands granted to William Jarvis. In due course, one of the first urban retreats, Moss Park was carved out of those lands, with Pembroke Street connecting it to another park-first, Allan Gardens.