W. Harris was an important industrialist, operating a meat packing plant at Danforth and Cowell. For more information see Sources. The house was designed by Henry Simpson Architect, In 1873/4 William built a house on the Southern end (west side) of Robinson Road - Robinson Road is currently known as Pape Avenue (Pape´s Lane before it was formally named). In later years the property that this home existed upon would be known as 320 Pape Avenue (1881-1891), 420 Pape Avenue (1891-98) & lastly, 450 Pape Avenue (1899-Present Day). "The William Harris House at 450 Pape Avenue was sold to the Salvation Army by William´s youngest son, Joseph Harris, in 1927 shortly after the death of Caroline (Richardson) Harris for $20,000.00.

Heritage Toronto and the Riverdale Historical Society erected a plaque in 2013 that reads:

This house was built for William and Caroline Harris and was named for Caroline's ancestral village. Designed by Toronto architect Henry Simpson, it has elements of two architectural styles. The Flemish gables and tall chimneys represent the Queen Anne Revival style, while the columned porches and patterned windows are associated with Edwardian Classicism. A butcher, William Harris began his career in England. He emigrated to Toronto where he established a meat processing factory in 1869. In 1901, he founded the Harris Abattoir Company, which later became part of Canada Packers Limited. In 1930, the Harris family transferred the house to the Salvation Army, and the building became a social aid centre for 75 years.

• Architect - Henry Simpson  <-- More buildings by this architect.
• Owner - 434711 Ontario Ltd.