Just through the photos, you can see the unique and magnificent beauty of the Gooderham Building, it’s great from the inside and out! Let’s discover this Toronto‘s heritage site now!
The Magnificent Flatiron
This building has another name, Flatiron. It sits in the wedge-shaped corner of Wellington Front, East, and Scott Streets. The building was in the City of Toronto’s Inventory of Heritage Inventory list since 1975.
The Flatiron is one of the unique structures in the city. It’s home to the headquarters of publishing businesses, a few shops on the ground floor, and complete with a basement pub.
History Of Gooderham Building
The Owner – George Gooderham
First, let’s talk about George Gooderham – the real owner of the building. George is an England businessman and yachtsman. He was born into a quite prosperous family as they as their own farm. When George turned two, his father brought him to Upper Canada.
George Gooderham spent the better part of his life increasing wealth by investing in mines, financial services, and real estate.
In 1889, he finally decided to build a massive Romanesque-style estate in Toronto. The specific location was at the northeast corner of Bloor and St George streets.
The Mansion
The first laid brick for the Gooderham Building construction was in 1891. Before that, this corner belonged to Coffin Block which had been the site of the Wellington Hotel. The head designer was David Roberts Jr. And obviously, the mansion is named after George Gooderham.
However, the Gooderham estate traded the construction to Velco Investments in 1957. Then, in 1973, it was officially under the control of Thomas and David Walsh.
Gooderham Building Inside And Out
As we mentioned above, the design of the Flatiron got inspiration from the Romanesque Revival style. But when looking from the outside, the most recognizable feature is its “flatiron” shape. Take a closer look at Gooderham building photos to admire its magnificent beauty.
The “Gooderham building inside” must be the part you’re most curious about, right?
The interior of this grand structure is certainly as old as its age. The building has a number of internal architectural attributes, including Toronto’s oldest electric elevator. There’s even a trompe l’oeil wall mural by Canadian artist Derek Besant dating to 1980 on the west facade.
The first floor has sliding windows on the south side and fixed windows on the north. The second floor has the opposite window arrangement compared to the first. The building has arch-hung and single-hung windows from the third to the fifth floor.
The Gooderham Building contains three entries. Two of them lead to the basement pub. The other entrance on the north side leads to the Flatiron Building is located on the north side.
Can You Go Inside The Gooderham Building?
Actually, no. This building is not available for visitors. These days, it’s still an office site.
But there are hundreds of Gooderham building photos online so you can admire its beauty. We have some in this post as well. Still, let’s come to see for yourself. It’s not on the “City of Toronto’s Inventory of Heritage Inventory” list for no reason, right?
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