Description:

127 Isabella Street is a 2.5 storey Queen Anne Revival style house located on the south side of Isabella Street approximately 25 meters east of Huntley Street in the Upper Jarvis neighbourhood of Toronto.

127 Isabella Street was constructed in 1890 and first occupied by 1892.  127 Isabella Street is representative of the late 19th century development of the Upper Jarvis neighbourhood and an increasingly rare example of a Victorian residence on Isabella Street.  

Research is ongoing to identify the architect(s) and/or builder(s) of 127 Isabella Street. 

Alongside interior alterations, 127 Isabella Street has undergone some exterior alterations including the removal of the covered front porch and its replacement with an enclosed mudroom.



Early Occupants:

The first occupants of 127 Isabella Street were John Watson and his family.

John Watson was an owner and partner of Lailey, Watson, & Company - a wholesale clothing company based at 51-53 Front Street West, Toronto. John Watson was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland around 1835/1838 and arrived in Canada in 1858. He started business in Barrie and Cookstown and arrived in Toronto around 1885. John Watson died in October 1901 after a long illness. His funeral was held at 127 Isabella Street. 

John Watson was married to Johanna Macdonald Ogilvie (1856-1900). John and Johanna had 2 children: 1 daughter and 1 son. John Watson's daughter - Christina Macdonald Watson - tragically passed away at age 23 at 127 Isabella Street on 16 October 1893.


Later Occupants and Uses:

127 Isabella Street remained in use as a single family dwelling until shortly after World War II. By the 1950s, the property has been converted to use as a rooming house. 


In 1993, the 127 Isabella Charitable Organization was established to house residents who had addiction issues and were HIV positive. The property was operated as a rooming house with 22 small apartments. The PWA noted in their Spring 2009 newsletter that the residents were not well, but were not sick enough for inpatient care at a hospital or hospice care at neighbouring Casey House. The organization also provided fundraising and funding opportunities for services not covered by other HIV care organizations, such as medical transportation costs or visitation-related costs for dying family members. 


The 127 Isabella Charitable Organization closed in 2009, albeit many of their residents remain tenants of 127 Isabella Street. The current operator of the rooming house is Myrmex Non-Profit Housing Inc. 

Adjacent Redevelopment:

In 2023, a redevelopment application was submitted for neighbouring 135 Isabella Street. This redevelopment application proposes a 69-storey residential high-rise immediately adjacent to 127 Isabella Street.


(Research by Adam Wynne)