Paul Kane House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Paul Kane House |
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| General information | |
| Type | House |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Named for | Paul Kane |
The Paul Kane House is a special old building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It's named after Paul Kane, who was a very important Canadian artist. He bought the land in 1853 and built a small house there.
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History of the Paul Kane House
This house has a long and interesting story. It shows how buildings can change over time. It also shows how people can work together to save important parts of history.
Early Days and a Fire
Paul Kane was a famous artist known for painting scenes of Indigenous life. He bought the property in 1853. Soon after, he built a small cottage on the land.
On May 29, 1855, a fire started in Kane's stables. The fire quickly spread to other buildings nearby. Luckily, the main house was saved.
Growing the House and New Owners
Paul Kane and his family later made the cottage bigger. They covered the outside with bricks. His family owned the house until 1903.
After that, the house was used for different things. A church for people who are deaf bought the property. They built a larger building in front of the house. This new building hid the old Paul Kane House from view.
Saving a Piece of History
In the 1970s, a developer decided to tear down the church building. When the church was removed, the old Paul Kane House was seen again. It looked like it might be torn down too.
But people in the community wanted to save it. They started a "grass-roots effort" to protect the house. This means many local people worked together to stop its demolition.
The city of Toronto bought the house in 1978. It was then named a "heritage structure." This means it's an important building that needs to be protected. This protection came under the Ontario Heritage Act.
New Life for the House
In 1984, the Toronto Star newspaper wrote an article about the house. It showed pictures of the house boarded up. Some neighbours even wanted it torn down.
But in 1985, an architect found a way to save it. The house was made part of a new housing cooperative. A housing cooperative is a building where residents own shares and help manage the property. This new building was built on Isabella Street.
The design only used the strong parts of the old house. The back of the original house had been damaged by the fire.
Paul Kane Parkette
The city also created a small park. It is called the Paul Kane Parkette. You can find it at 56 Wellesley Street East. This park was once the front yard of Paul Kane's house. It's a nice place to remember the artist and his home.
