Scadding Cabin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Scadding Cabin |
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Entrance to Scadding Cabin
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| Location | Alberta Circle, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Built | 1794 |
| Current use | Museum |
| Governing body | York Pioneers |
| Website | York Pioneers |
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The Scadding Cabin (also called Simcoe Cabin) is a very old log cabin located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was built way back in 1794 for a person named John Scadding. Today, it stands on the grounds of Exhibition Place and is known as the oldest building still standing in Toronto.
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The Cabin's Story
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The Scadding Cabin was first built on land owned by John Scadding. He was an immigrant from England. Building the cabin helped him meet the rules for keeping his land grant from the Crown. The cabin was located on the east side of the Don River. This land stretched from Lake Ontario up to what is now Danforth Avenue.
John Scadding lived in the cabin until 1796 when he went back to England. When he returned to Toronto in 1818, he sold his property, including the cabin, to a farmer named William Smith. The Smith family used the cabin as a storage building for many years.
Moving the Cabin
In 1879, John Smith, who owned the land at that time, gave the Scadding Cabin to a group called the York Pioneers. This group works to preserve history. Interestingly, Henry Scadding, John Scadding's son, was one of the people who started the York Pioneers.
The Toronto Industrial Exhibition began in 1879. This event later became the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE). The York Pioneers worked with the Exhibition's founders to move the cabin. They wanted to celebrate the start of the big fair. The cabin was carefully taken apart, moved, and then put back together by the York Pioneers. This happened on August 22, 1879. It was rebuilt near the site of Fort Rouillé at what is now Exhibition Place.
What the Cabin is Used For Today
The York Pioneers group now runs Scadding Cabin as a museum. Inside, the cabin looks like a pioneer home from the 1830s to the early 1840s. While most items are from that time, some artifacts are even older, dating back to the 1790s. The oldest item in the cabin is a baby's cradle, which was made by John Scadding himself.
The cabin is filled with items that show how people lived long ago. You can see two spinning wheels and a wool winder. There is also equipment for making bread and butter. A candle mould and tools for cooking over an open fireplace are also on display.
Visiting the Cabin
Scadding Cabin is open to visitors during the CNE. The CNE happens every year from mid-August until the end of the Canadian Labour Day weekend. The cabin also opens for special events during the summer. One of these events is Toronto's Doors Open, where many historic buildings are open to the public. In the past, the cabin has also been open during the Luminato Festival and the annual CHIN picnic when these events are held at Exhibition Place.
In 2022, some rot was found in one of the main logs of the cabin. The York Pioneers worked hard to raise money. They successfully made repairs to the cabin in 2023, helping to keep this historic building safe for the future.
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