Palmerston Boulevard facts for kids
Palmerston Boulevard is a special street in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It's a quiet, tree-lined street known for its unique look. You can find it between the lively neighbourhoods of Koreatown and Little Italy.
What makes Palmerston Boulevard stand out? It has grand stone and iron gates at both ends, near Bloor Street and College Street. The street is lit by old-fashioned cast-iron lamps, and tall silver maple trees form a beautiful canopy overhead. South of College Street, the street continues as Palmerston Avenue all the way to Queen Street.
The street wasn't always called Palmerston. It used to be named Muter Street. Around the early 1900s, when the area was being developed, its name changed to Palmerston. This new name came from Lord Palmerston, who was a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Most of the houses you see on Palmerston Boulevard today were built between 1903 and 1910.
Over the years, many different people have called Palmerston Boulevard home. At first, it was a neighbourhood for wealthy families. Later, from the 1920s to the 1950s, many middle- and upper-middle-class Jewish families moved there. In the 1960s, some of the larger houses were divided into smaller apartments or rooming houses for university students. Famous people have also lived here, including George Weston, who founded a well-known Canadian food company, and two former mayors of Toronto, Horatio Hocken and Samuel McBride.
The Special Palmerston Lamps
The beautiful street lamps on Palmerston Boulevard are a big part of its charm. In 1973, the city of Toronto officially recognized both the Palmerston Gates and these unique lights as important heritage properties. This means they are protected because of their historical value.
However, in 2003, city officials suggested replacing the original lamps with new aluminum copies. The people living in the area strongly disagreed. They wanted to keep the old lamps. In January 2004, the City Council voted to save the original lights.
David Miller, who was the Mayor of Toronto at the time, even spoke about the lamps in his first speech as mayor in 2003. He said that these lamps are important for the city's history and add beauty to public spaces. He also noted how much the residents cared about keeping them.
By 2005, most of the original lights had been fixed up and repainted. But some changes were made. The new globes around the lights are made of plastic instead of the original glass. Also, the bulbs inside are brighter and different from the old ones.
These types of lamps, sometimes called 'light pillars,' were common in North America in the early 1900s. Palmerston Boulevard is one of the few streets in Toronto that still has its original lamps. They were designed to light the way for people walking, as cars were not very common back then.
The Church at College and Palmerston
At the corner of College Street and Palmerston Boulevard, there's an old church building. It was built even before the boulevard was fully developed. This building was originally the College Street Baptist Church, built in 1889. Before that, a smaller church stood there since 1872.
For a long time, the church was used by a Portuguese-speaking Seventh-Day Adventist group. They later sold the property. A developer has since turned the old church building into modern apartments.
The Church was added to Toronto's Heritage Properties Inventory in 2006. This means the city recognizes its historical importance. In 2009, the City Council officially protected the Church under the Ontario Heritage Act. This law helps to preserve important historical buildings.
