ACO Toronto - 1402 Dundas Street West

Notes:

1402 Dundas Street West, Toronto (c. 1912) is a large, 2.5 storey, detached, brick Edwardian house with a front gable, 2-storey bay window, and covered porch. This particular style of house is quite uncommon on the Dundas Street West streetscape itself east of the intersection of Bloor Street West and Dundas Street West. This particular style of house is more commonly found on other streets (often residential side streets) in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Notably, much of this stretch of Dundas Street West consists of commercial blocks and buildings (often with residential-above-commercial spaces); low-rise apartments; and row housing and/or semi-detached houses.

1402 Dundas Street West, Toronto (c. 1912) has contextual value through its distinct and unique angle, scale, set-back, and size in regards to the surrounding properties and streetscape.

1402 Dundas Street West, Toronto (c. 1912) has historical value, as it was the first property built directly on the north side of Dundas Street West between Rusholme Road and Gladstone Avenue during early 20^th century re-development of the lands on and immediately adjacent to the Denison Family’s Rusholme Estate. 1402 Dundas Street West, Toronto also predates the creation of adjacent Rusholme Drive and its associated post-World War I (circa. 1920s-1930s) automobile and streetcar subdivision, which continue to abut it to the immediate east to the present day. Please note that the Rusholme estate house itself was constructed in 1839 and was significantly setback from Dundas Street West via a long driveway with a gabled gatekeepers’ cottage that was located near the modern-day intersection of Dundas Street West and Rusholme Road. The Rusholme estate house was demolished in the mid-1950s. A wood frame structure also previously existed on the present-day location of 1402 Dundas Street West, but was demolished by 1890. Please additionally note that some earlier properties had been constructed on other, nearby streets (Coolmine Road, Gladstone Place (now Langemark Avenue), Rusholme Road, etc.) on lands on and/or immediately adjacent to the Rusholme estate during earlier subdivisions of the estate pre-1912. However, the north side of Dundas Street West in the vicinity of the Rusholme estate (between Rusholme Road and Gladstone Avenue) remained essentially undeveloped until the construction of 1402 Dundas Street West (then known as 406 Dundas Street West) in 1912. 1402 Dundas Street West is subsequently the oldest extant property on the north side of Dundas Street West between Rusholme Road and Gladstone Avenue.

1402 Dundas Street West, Toronto (c. 1912) has direct associative value to neighbourhood history through its first occupant (and potential builder), Samuel Walker (1855-1928). Samuel Walker was a local bricklayer, builder, businessman, contractor, and mason. Samuel Walker was also the Owner and Manager of the Peerless Milling Company. The Peerless Milling Company was a flour mill that was located on the west side of Dufferin Street just north of Dundas Street West between the mid-1910s and mid-to-late 1920s. Samuel Walker lived at 1402 Dundas Street West with his family between 1913 (potentially as early as late 1912) and 1921. The Walker family also later lived on Gladstone Avenue and St. Annes Road in the same neighbourhood.

1402 Dundas Street West, Toronto (c. 1912) has had relatively few alterations since its construction. Many other houses situated directly on Dundas Street West have had significant alterations, such as ground floor commercial-related additions / renovations and the enclosure of front porches to mitigate impacts from high traffic flow. This has not occurred at 1402 Dundas Street West, Toronto. However, one noticeable alteration of the property is that 2 front doors now exist, likely dating to the conversion of the interior of the property into separate apartment units during the mid-to-late 1920s. Another alteration is the addition of aluminum or vinyl siding on the front gable, which likely replaced fish scale and/or wooden siding. Recent real estate photos of the property indicate a number of original internal details – such as fireplaces, hardwood floors, pocket doors, etc. – are extant.

1402 Dundas Street West, Toronto (c. 1912) is presently for sale as an “exceptional investment opportunity” and a “development opportunity” situated on a “large lot” in the “heart of the action of Dundas Street West” and should be considered at increased risk of demolition.

1402 Dundas Street West

Sources for 1402 Dundas Street West

Loading Please Wait