Unlock the Secrets of Your Home's Past
"One offshoot of amalgamation is that it's sparked more neighbourhood pride, with an emphasis on preservation and history" - KATHRYN ANDERSON, Preservation officer with Heritage Toronto

Toronto Star - February 14, 1999 - By Wendy Jacob

Psychic Deborah Levin didn't have a clue about the history of her 117-year-old Toronto home, except that it was inhabited by a fluffy, black ghost cat.

She thought it best not to mention the cat, which habitually strolled out of a closet, until her boyfriend asked her if she saw it, too.

Buying the neglected Victorian house in 1997 was a spur-of-the-moment decision. She ignored the smashed-in chain link fence, and instead saw a home with heritage, which she wanted to learn more about.

"We really appreciate history," says Levin, who purchased the property with her boyfriend Rick Tyrrell. "We wanted to honour and respect the house, and the people who lived here."

Levin contacted Heritage Toronto (formerly the Toronto Historical Board), and inquired about having the house listed as a heritage property, while Tyrrell went to the City of Toronto Archives and researched the chain of owners. "A couple of weeks later, we got a complete listing of everyone who lived in the house, with approximate dates."

The first owner was a printer named Joseph C. MacMillan, but he never lived there. Records show safe maker Daniel Cox as the first occupant.

In the former city of Toronto, the bulk of buildings were constructed from 1890 to 1910, notes Kathryn Anderson, a preservation officer with Heritage Toronto, the public agency that manages the city's historic museums and is charged with identifying heritage properties.

"Most owners whose homes fall into this time frame want to know more about their property," says Anderson, who will discuss researching your home's history at Room With A View: Make Your Home a Castle, a day-long series of lectures presented by Spadina Historic House and Casa Loma on March 6. Information and tickets are available by phoning (416) 392-6910.

Heritage Toronto will supply research guidelines, reference books on Toronto history and architecture, and nomination forms for heritage properties so occupants - you don't have to be the home owner - can date their residences.

The first step to uncovering your home's past is questioning elderly neighbours who have been longtime residents to find out what they know about the house. Then check out the nearest library; most branches have a local history collection, and some contain files compiled on neighbourhood life.

"For example, the Beach has an excellent collection and helpful staff, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel," says Anderson.

For an idea of how your home may have originally looked, Goad's Fire Insurance Maps are an excellent source. They give a neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood view of the city with outlines of buildings along each street. If your house is included, it will show both the shape and building materials used. The atlases are housed in the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library and the City of Toronto Archives in City Hall.

Goad's documents were used from 1880 on, and were updated periodically. Because the date of construction listed on your house's property survey is not necessarily accurate, the atlases can help corroborate the correct date by noting the year the building first appears on the maps.

If your home was built prior to the 1880s, check the City of Toronto Directories, which date from 1834 - when the city was incorporated from the Town of York - to the present day. Organized alphabetically by street name and occupant surname, the yearly directories are also found at the Metro Reference Library or the city archives.

When trying to determine the year your house was erected, take into consideration that the information was compiled from the previous year (ie. the directory for 1900 reflects the status of the site in 1899).

The occupant listed in the directories is not necessarily the proprietor, it could be a renter.

You can trace the chain of ownership for your home through land records at the Registry Office in the Atrium on Bay, which chronologically records the transfer of property from one owner to the next. The records are particularly helpful when researching properties developed prior to annexation of an area by the city, but can be quite complicated, warns Anderson. You'll get a speedier retrieval if you cite the house's plan and lot number (listed on the tax record) instead of just the address, and there is a $5 charge for pulling the materials.

More in-depth information on the previous homeowners, as well as the name, age, occupation, religion and number of family members of the occupant, can be uncovered through the Property Tax Assessment Rolls, which are compiled annually by city ward. Up until 1882, the rolls also indicated the number of stories and construction materials used in the house's main structure and additions.

If your home was built after 1882, consult the building permit index at the City of Toronto Archives. It can confirm the date of construction and might list an architect or builder. If the architect is cited, it may be possible to compare your house to other buildings designed by that architect.

"If it was designed by well-known architect, there is a good likelihood there are drawings at the Archives of Ontario, which can prove helpful if you want to restore original details," adds Anderson.

If you've gone through the basic steps but are having a lot of problems, contact Heritage Toronto. There may be a historical society or heritage agency in your area that they can refer you to for help.

"One offshoot of amalgamation is that it's sparked more neighbourhood pride, with an emphasis on preservation and history," Anderson observes. Residents were behind the push to have areas such as Wychwood Park, near Dufferin and Davenport, designated a Heritage Conservation District, in recognition of its distinct historical character.

Writer Audrey Fox traced the history of her whole neighbourhood, formerly known as Brackendale Hill Park, a circa 1913 subdivision at Davenport and Christie. "I wanted a sense of community," says Fox. "It helps to fight the feeling of alienation when you're living in a big city."

She compiled local records, maps and photos and gathered an oral history from neighbours. Fox had her two sons distribute flyers to residents requesting information about the area, which encompasses 129 houses. After gathering support from 35 neighbourhood families and meeting with representatives from City Hall and Heritage Toronto, she is spearheading a drive to get street signs erected in the area that will read Brackendale Hill.

Residents who uncover details about their home's past are often curious as to whether it can be recognized as historic by having the house listed on the Inventory of Toronto Heritage Properties, which allows Heritage Toronto to become involved when applications of municipal permits or approvals are made.

A building, structure or site can be recognized as a heritage site because of historical or architectural significance. The building doesn't necessarily have to be "old" to be an important heritage property - it could be exceptionally well crafted, represent a characteristic of the community, relate to a significant person or an important event in Toronto's history. And it doesn't have to be grand, either - humble cottages are as much a legacy of the past as imposing public buildings.

In the former city of Toronto, there are nearly 5,000 properties listed on the Inventory of Heritage Properties, and approximately 1,000 of these are deemed "designated." Designated properties differ from listed ones as they are conferred with a legal status, which is registered on the title of the property.

If your property is designated, it is eligible for grants for restoration or conservation of original design details. For information on grants, or applications for heritage property nominations, contact Heritage Toronto at (416) 392-6827.

One year after she started her initial research, Levin applied to have her home listed on the inventory. Listed buildings are eligible for oval markers that identify them as heritage properties.

"The day we got our little plaque was a very proud day," says Levin. "We are preseninR the hist^nr. if ever the house is sold we want to know it's protected."

Residents of a modern home shouldn't be discouraged from finding out about its history. "Any structure built before 1989 is eligible for listing," says Anderson. "We have residential houses from the '60s that are included because of their architecture."

Your house may lack a lengthy heritage, but there are other clues to a home's past besides deeds and land surveys. "You don't have to be psychic to pick up on the mood of a house," Levin says. Despite the continued presence of the spectral feline, "this home has a happy, stable feeling, and we have had a lot of luck since we bought it."