 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (December 2011) |
| The Grange | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:The_Grange.JPG) The Grange in 2005 | |
| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
| Coordinates | 43°39′11″N 79°23′33″W / 43.65306°N 79.39250°W |
| Built | 1817 |
| Original use | Manor house |
| Current use | A wing of the Art Gallery of Ontario |
| Governing body | Art Gallery of Ontario |
| Designated | 1970 |
The Grange is a historic Georgian manor in downtown Toronto, Ontario. It was the first home of the Art Museum of Toronto. Today, it is part of the Art Gallery of Ontario.
The structure was built in 1817, making it the 12th oldest surviving building in Toronto and the oldest remaining brick house. It was built for D'Arcy Boulton (1785–1846), a son of G. D'Arcy Boulton. He was one of the town's leading citizens and part of the powerful Boulton family, which played an important role in the Family Compact. Originally, it was considerably west of the town of York, but over time, the town grew and Boulton sold his considerable land holdings surrounding the manor for a large profit.
The house was inherited by D'Arcy's son and Toronto mayor, William Henry Boulton. When he died in 1874, the house passed to his widow, Hariette Boulton. She remarried the prominent scholar Goldwin Smith, and the couple lived in The Grange for the rest of their lives. Upon Goldwin's Smith's death in 1910, the couple bequeathed the building to the Art Museum of Toronto (now known as the Art Gallery of Ontario), and The Grange became the new home of the gallery. The building also served as the first home of the Ontario College of Art and Design, now OCAD University. Since the early 20th century, the Art Gallery of Ontario has been expanded a number of times, and the original manor makes up only a small part of the structure.
The expanse of lawn to the south of the building, what is left of the grounds, is operated by the city as Grange Park. Also on the old grounds is St. George Church, which was founded by the Boultons and which burned down in 1956. Only the tower and original Sunday school building remain.
In 1970, The Grange was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in recognition of the house's significance to the history of Toronto.[1][2]
- ^ The Grange[permanent dead link], Directory of Designations of National Historic Significance of Canada
- ^ The Grange, National Register of Historic Places