Hart House (University of Toronto) facts for kids
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| Established | 1911 |
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| Location | University of Toronto Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Hart House is a special building at the University of Toronto where students can gather and take part in many activities. It opened in 1919 and was one of the first student centers in North America. Students have held debates and meetings here for a long time. Vincent Massey, a former student who loved the university, helped start and pay for Hart House. It was named after his grandfather, Hart Massey. The building was designed by architect Henry Sproatt in a style called Collegiate Gothic Revival. He also designed the tall Soldiers' Tower nearby. In 1957, even U.S. President John F. Kennedy visited Hart House.
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Discovering Hart House's Past
When Vincent Massey was a student, he studied history and English. He also spent time at Oxford University in England. He loved the social and fun life at Oxford's colleges. When he came back to Canada, he wanted to bring a similar feeling of community to the University of Toronto. The university had many separate colleges, and he wanted to bring them closer.
In 1908, Massey offered to build a place for student activities. The university leaders liked his idea. Construction began in 1911. At first, they planned to spend $300,000. But as they built, new ideas kept coming up. By the time it was finished in 1919, the building cost $2 million!
Hart House was built in the Gothic Revival style. This style was first used for large cathedrals, which are big churches. These churches often had many decorations showing stories from the Bible. This helped people learn, even if they couldn't read. Universities often grew out of churches in the past. Hart House was designed to remind people of this history. The building has long hallways and rooms with high ceilings and cool carvings.
A Place for Everyone: The Story of Women at Hart House
Vincent Massey originally wanted Hart House to be only for men. He thought it would create a stronger sense of friendship among them. But starting in the 1950s, women students wanted to be allowed in. This caused a lot of discussion. Massey stuck to his original idea during his lifetime.
However, some changes did happen. In 1954, the Arbor Room coffee shop opened, and it was the first place in Hart House where both men and women could go. In 1958, women were allowed to attend a debate for the first time. But they had to sit behind a rope and couldn't speak.
After Vincent Massey passed away in 1967, the rules for Hart House were changed. Since 1972, women have been able to join and take part in all activities at Hart House.
During a debate at Hart House in 1957, John F. Kennedy joked about keeping women out. He said he liked being in a country where women "cannot mix in everywhere." But outside, female students were protesting with signs that said "Unfair!" and "We want Kennedy!"
Important Meetings: The First Commonwealth Conference
Hart House hosted the first unofficial Commonwealth conference. This meeting took place from September 11 to 21, 1933. It was organized by groups from Canada and the UK. Vincent Massey invited them to hold it at Hart House.
Robert Borden, a former Canadian Prime Minister, led the meeting. There were 77 delegates from all seven Commonwealth nations at that time. These countries included Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State. A photo of the delegates can be seen in the building's Debating Chamber. These conferences later happened regularly around the Commonwealth.
Exploring Hart House's Architecture
Hart House is a very large building. It looks taller than it is wide, which makes it seem even grander. From the outside, you can see many big windows on the north and south sides. There are also strong parts sticking out that mark the end of one section and the start of another. The building's edges are uneven, which is typical of the Gothic style. This gives Hart House the look of an old university building.
Inside, you can find many interesting details. Behind the theatre, there are marks on the wall from old ammunition. These marks give the building a unique character. There are also carvings in the walls. For example, on the south side, you can see carvings of the first people who lived in the house. Above the map room windows, there are carvings showing the army units that were there during the war. In the Great Hall, there's a stone carving of an officer cadet from 1916. He's wearing a uniform and carrying his gear.
Hart House is a great example of Gothic Revival architecture. It's not perfectly balanced, and it has pointed arches and windows. It also has many decorations, steep roofs, and a tall tower. It's considered a "late collegiate Gothic" building because it was built in 1919. Even though it looks like it's made of solid stone, it actually has a steel frame and concrete inside. The outside is covered with grey sandstone. The roofs have curved wooden beams. Wood and stone are the main materials used.
How the Building is Put Together
Most parts of Hart House show the "Perpendicular" style of Gothic architecture. This means elements often line up in rows. Arches and vaults (curved ceilings) are common. However, some areas, like the East Common Room, have flat ceilings supported by lintels (horizontal beams).
The ceilings in the hallways and many rooms, like the Upper Gallery of the Great Hall, are vaulted with raised ribs. The library ceiling is especially fancy, with decorative ribs. The shapes of the main entrances and some archways look like Tudor arches. The clover-like shapes in the windows are also seen in the wooden doors and supports. The main entrance on the south side, the west entrance, and the entire east wall have a decorative top edge that looks like castle battlements. The building's Gothic style is clear in its structure, layout, and decorations. The heavy stone is made to look lighter by its decorations and the contrast with the thin stained-glass windows.
Like Romanesque buildings, Gothic and Gothic Revival styles use stone. Hart House uses dark sandstone and limestone outside. Inside, it has smooth brick lining. Pointed arches are common for windows, doors, and hallways. The porch, a covered area at the main entrances, is another Gothic Revival feature. It protects people from bad weather. The decorated wooden arch-braces and ceilings in the East Hall help make the Hart House Orchestra sound even better.
Even though Gothic style is simpler than Romanesque, Hart House still has beautiful stone and wood carvings. On the south side, near the top, there's a line of small stone sculptures of human heads. There are also stone lions and monkeys outside the main doors. The wooden supports on the flat roofs of the east hallways have carvings. The windows have clover-like decorations. Even the university's crest and motto are carved into the building's front. These carvings make the building very beautiful.
How Hart House is Managed
Hart House is managed in a way that encourages teamwork and fair decisions. It is run by a group called the Board of Stewards. This group includes students from different committees, representatives from student governments, and other important members like the university president or their chosen person. The "warden" is the main leader of Hart House.
The Board of Stewards decides how the spaces in Hart House are used. They also approve the building's budget and work with the warden to plan for the future of Hart House. Most of the members on the Board of Stewards are students.
Leaders of Hart House: The Wardens
Here is a list of the people who have led Hart House as its warden:
- Walter F. Bowles (1919–1921)
- J. Burgon Bickersteth (1921–1947)
- Nicholas Ignatieff (1947–1952)
- Joseph McCulley (1952–1965)
- E. Arnold Wilkinson (1965–1972)
- J. G. Langelle (1972–1977)
- Richard M. H. Alway (1977–1990)
- Paul McCann (Acting Warden) (1990-1992)
- Peter Turner (1992-1997)
- Margaret Hancock (1997-2007)
- Louise Cowin (2007 to 2011)
- Bruce Kidd (2011–2015)
- John F. Monahan (2015–2022)
- Sherry Kulman (Interim Warden) (2022–2023)
- David Kim (2023–)
Art at Hart House: Justina M. Barnicke Gallery
The Art Museum at the University of Toronto includes the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, which is located in Hart House. It also includes the University of Toronto Art Centre. These two galleries joined together in 2014. Now, they are one of the biggest places in Toronto for showing visual art.
The Art Museum has a collection of Canadian art from 1921 to today. They often show modern Canadian art in all kinds of forms. The gallery also hosts movie showings, talks, and performance art. Besides its regular shows, the gallery has an art collection worth over $10 million Canadian dollars.
Clubs and Activities for Students
Hart House is a busy place with many clubs and activities for students.
Hart House Chess Club
The Hart House Chess Club started in 1895, making it one of the oldest and most successful clubs at the University of Toronto. It meets every Friday in the Reading Room. Players of all skill levels are welcome to play casually or seriously. The club offers lessons from top Canadian players and hosts tournaments. The Hart House Chess Team has won the top title six times at the Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship.
Many famous chess players have visited the club over the years. These include Paul Keres, Samuel Reshevsky, Bobby Fischer, Max Euwe, Mikhail Botvinnik, and Boris Spassky.
Hart House Debating Society
In 1986, the University of Toronto Debating Union joined with the Hart House Debates Committee. This created the Hart House Debating Club. It is now the main debating club at the University of Toronto, open to all students.
The club has hosted many important speakers. These include leaders, politicians, filmmakers, business people, and writers. Some famous speakers include John F. Kennedy, Christopher Hitchens, Margaret Atwood, and Noam Chomsky.
The club has also hosted many big tournaments, like the North American Debating Championship. They have won the World Universities Debating Championship twice, in 1981 and 2006.
Hart House Literary and Library Committee
This committee organizes many writing and reading events at Hart House. They have writing groups like le mot juste and the Algonquin Square Table. They also publish the Hart House Review. The committee often invites a writer-in-residence who leads workshops and helps students with their writing. They also run a library on the second floor of Hart House. It has many books for research and fun reading. The library often hosts public readings.
Hart House Music Committee
This committee plans concerts and music events. They feature different types of music, like rock, reggae, and folk. The concerts are free for everyone at the university. They usually organize six to ten concerts each school year. These events are becoming a bigger part of Hart House. The committee wants to bring together all music lovers from the university. Hart House also hosts open mic nights where anyone can perform. These events are very popular with new students.
Hart House Review
The Hart House Review (HHR) is a Canadian literary journal. It is published by students at Hart House and printed by Coach House Press. The magazine is known for featuring stories, poems, and photos from new writers and artists in Canada. Famous Canadian writers like Rohinton Mistry and Camilla Gibb have had their work published in the HHR. The review also hosts talks and readings with both new and well-known figures in Canadian literature.
Special Talks: Lecture Series
The Hart House Hancock Lecture is a yearly public talk. A committee of students, staff, and former students chooses the speaker. It usually happens in late March in the Great Hall of Hart House. This series started in 2001 to have an important public talk each year.
Past speakers have talked about interesting topics. For example, in 2007, Professor Darin Barney spoke about how technology affects being a citizen. In 2008, Dr. Samantha Nutt talked about how people in North America can help people in countries affected by war. You can find copies of some past talks online.
Hart House Theatre: A Stage for Talent
Hart House Theatre is often called the starting point of Canadian Theatre. It opened in November 1919. This beautiful theatre quickly became a leader in the "Little Theatre" movement in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of Canada's best actors, directors, writers, and designers started here before World War II. Some famous names include Raymond Massey and Dora Mavor Moore.
After the war, Hart House Theatre became a place for students to practice theatre. For twenty years, it helped a new group of stage professionals get their start. People like William Hutt, Donald Sutherland, and Lorne Michaels all began on the Hart House stage.
Today, Hart House Theatre is a main spot for performing arts at the University of Toronto. Over a thousand students take part each year in plays, dance, music, and film. Hart House Theatre continues to inspire new generations. The shows are often praised by critics and usually sell out.
Hart House Orchestra
Since 1976, the Hart House Orchestra (HHO) has given students and staff a chance to play challenging symphonic music. The orchestra has about 80 to 90 musicians. To join, you need to audition each year. It's open to students, former students, teachers, and staff.
The orchestra usually performs three concerts at Hart House and one in another city in Ontario or Quebec. They have toured to cities like Montreal and Ottawa. On special occasions, they have even played at Carnegie Hall in New York City and in Germany. A committee of volunteer orchestra members helps run the group.
Each year, the orchestra holds two competitions for soloists. The winners get to perform with the orchestra in the next season.
Hart House Film Board
This popular club helps its members make movies. They offer equipment to rent and give lessons. They also work on group projects, like the New Filmmaker's Project, and host film screenings. Famous directors like Atom Egoyan and Babak Payami made their first films using equipment from the Hart House Film Board. Since 2006, the club has offered many film training classes.
Other Cool Features
Hart House is a beautiful place, so it's often used for weddings, conferences, and other events. It even has a barbershop for students! Hart House also owns a 150-acre farm in the Caledon Hills. This farm has been a popular place for people to relax and get away from the city for a long time.
Famous Visitors to Hart House
Since 1919, almost every important person who visited Hart House signed its guest book. In 2007, the original leather-bound book finally ran out of pages and had to be replaced!
The first royal visitor was Prince Edward, who later became King. He played squash with students in 1924. In 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited the campus and had lunch at Hart House. Elizabeth II first visited as a princess in 1951 and has returned several times.
Many famous people have signed the guest book more than once. Some notable visitors include:
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Ronald Reagan
- John F. Kennedy
- Thomas Mann
- Stephen Leacock
- Henry Moore
- Seamus Heaney
- Octavio Paz
- John Kenneth Galbraith
- Christopher Hitchens
- Edmund Hillary
- King George VI
- Queen Elizabeth II
See also
- Survivors Are Not Heroes, a sculpture outside the building
