Beard Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beard Building |
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| General information | |
| Status | Demolished |
| Type | Commercial offices Hotel |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Location | 163 King Street East Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Coordinates | 43°39′01″N 79°22′18″W / 43.650366°N 79.371587°W |
| Completed | 1893 – 1894 |
| Demolished | 1935 |
| Cost | $60,000 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 25.8 m (85 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 7 1 below ground |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | E. J. Lennox |
The Beard Building was a very tall building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was built a long time ago, in 1894. Many people think it was Toronto's very first skyscraper. It had seven floors and was designed by a famous architect named E. J. Lennox.
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Toronto's First Skyscraper?
The Beard Building was quite special. It stood about 25.38 m (83.3 ft) tall. This made it one of the tallest buildings in Toronto at the time. It was designed in a style called Richardsonian Romanesque. This style uses strong, heavy stone and rounded arches.
How It Was Built
The architect, E. J. Lennox, first planned a nine-story building. It was going to have a frame made of iron. But in the end, they decided to build it differently. They used more traditional materials like wood and brick. This version had seven floors instead of nine.
What Was Inside?
The Beard Building had different uses. On the ground floor, there was a bank. This was a branch of The Bank of Commerce. People could go there to do their banking.
Offices and a Hotel
Above the bank, the building had many floors for offices. Businesses could rent these spaces. They would use them for their work. The building was also planned to have a hotel. However, the hotel part never actually opened. This was due to how the building was designed.
Who Was George T. Beard?
The building was named after a man named George T. Beard. He was the person who originally owned the land where the building was constructed. It was common to name buildings after the landowners or developers back then.
What Happened to the Beard Building?
The Beard Building stood for many years. But in 1935, it was torn down. This means it was demolished. A few years later, a gas station was built in its place. So, this early Toronto skyscraper is no longer standing today.
