Description: 

4 West Lodge Avenue:

4 West Lodge Avenue is a 1-storey commercial/industrial building located on the west side of West Lodge Avenue approximately 50 meters north of Queen Street West in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. 4 West Lodge Avenue was likely constructed in 1888/1889 and was first home to the George Howard & Son blacksmith shop and smithy. The Howard family operated a blacksmith shop and smithy from 4 West Lodge Avenue until 1926. During this period, the Howard family lived next door at 6 West Lodge Avenue. 4 West Lodge Avenue has since been converted for residential use.

6 West Lodge Avenue:

6 West Lodge Avenue is a 2.5 storey Bay-and-Gable house located on the west side of West Lodge Avenue approximately 55 meters north of Queen Street West in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. 6 West Lodge Avenue was constructed in 1888/1889 and was first home to George Howard and family. Members of the Howard family lived at 6 West Lodge Avenue until the 1930s, although intermittently rented the house to tenants. The Howard family operated the blacksmith shop and smithy next door at 4 West Lodge Avenue until 1926.

4 & 6 West Lodge Avenue are a rare surviving example in Toronto of an in-situ 19th century or early 20th century blacksmith shop and smithy with an adjacent residence that was originally home to the blacksmith and his family.  

6 West Lodge Avenue is also notable for being the only surviving house-form building situated directly on West Lodge Avenue south of Seaforth Avenue.

Please note that the above dates of construction are based on data available in the City of Toronto Directories. It is possible that 4 West Lodge Avenue was expanded and/or reconstructed in the early 20th century. Unfortunately, fire insurance plans for this block of West Lodge Avenue do not depict the current configuration of buildings at 4-6 West Lodge Avenue until the 1913 edition. 

West Lodge Avenue - A Brief History:

West Lodge Avenue runs north-south in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. West Lodge Avenue consists of two sections: the south section runs north of Queen Street West for approximately 150 meters and terminates in the May Robinson Apartments complex; whereas the north sections runs north from Seaforth Avenue for approximately 330 meters and terminates at West Lodge Park and the Canadian National Railway / Canadian Pacific Railway rail corridor.

West Lodge Avenue is situated on former Park Lot 31. Park Lot 31 was granted to Alexander Burns in 1798. Alexander Burns' heir - William Burns, of Philadelphia - subsequently granted the property in trust to Alexander Wood. Alexander Wood then sold the park lot to Colonel Walter O'Hara in 1831.

West Lodge Avenue was named for Colonel Walter O'Hara's West Lodge estate. In 1831/1832, Colonel O'Hara constructed a large home known as West Lodge on the site of the present-day May Robinson Apartments (20-25 West Lodge Avenue).  Colonel O'Hara then purchased adjacent Park Lots 33 and 34 in 1840.

West Lodge remained in the O'Hara family until the death of Colonel O'Hara in 1874 when it was sold by his heirs to William Innes Mackenzie. Mackenzie was associated with The Toronto House Building Association and surveyed much of present-day Parkdale for commercial and residential development in the mid-1870s (shortly before the Village of Parkdale was incorporated in 1879). In 1876 McKenzie, sold West Lodge to the Sisters of the Good Shepherd - an order of Catholic Nuns who operated the Magdalene asylum and convent from the property from 1876 until the 1950s. The order operated an asylum for the "reclamation of unfortunate women" and a "reformatory for small children" from the property.

The southmost section of West Lodge Avenue - which includes 4 & 6 West Lodge Avenue - was formerly the driveway to the West Lodge estate. The West Lodge estate house itself was demolished in the late 1950s during the construction of the May Robinson Apartments (20 & 25 West Lodge Avenue). 

The northmost section of West Lodge Avenue was home to the Gutta Percha Rubber factory between 1883 and 1960. Gutta Percha was the largest manufacturer of rubber in Canada during this period in time.

First Occupants and Uses: 

The first occupants and uses of 4-6 West Lodge Avenue were as follows: 4 West Lodge Avenue - the Howard family's blacksmith shop and smithy; and 6 West Lodge Avenue - the Howard family's residence.  

George Howard (1832-1899) was born in the Province of Quebec in 1832 to English parents. Between 1846 and 1850, the Howard family moved from Quebec to Streetsville (Mississauga), Ontario. In Streetsville, George Howard was employed as a carriage maker. In 1859, George Howard married Lucina Caslor (1836-1920) - the daughter of a prominent Hollander-Canadian United Empire Loyalist family. 

In 1882/1883, the Howards moved to Parkdale where George Howard opened a grocery store at the northeast corner of Queen Street and West Lodge Avenue. By 1884, Howard’s business had expanded to offer blacksmith services and by 1885 Howard was solely offering blacksmith services. This same year (1885), Howard moved his business from Queen Street to West Lodge Avenue. Howard’s business was originally based on the east side of West Lodge Avenue a short distance north of Queen Street. A few years later, in 1888/1889, Howard moved to the west side of West Lodge Avenue and constructed both a new shop and smithy (4 West Lodge Avenue) and house (6 West Lodge Avenue) for him and his family.

George Howard’s blacksmith business was originally known as G. Howard & Son. Between 1889 and 1890, Howard had a brief partnership with William Gaul and the business became known as Howard & Gaul. However, William Gaul was hired as a tailor by P. M. Clark & Son in 1890/1891 and George Howard reverted to the name George Howard & Son. Following the death of George Howard in November 1899, Walter David Howard (1865-1939) – his 2^nd eldest son – took over the operations of the blacksmith shop and smithy and it became known as W. D. Howard and/or Walter D. Howard. W. D. Howard (Walter D. Howard) remained in business at 4 West Lodge Avenue until 1926. By the early 1920s, Walter D. Howard resided at 52 Harvard Avenue - a short distance from Roncesvalles Avenue. 

George and Lucina Howard had 11 children - 5 daughters and 6 sons – between 1859 and 1883. The Howard family were Wesleyan Methodist. George Howard died in 1899. Lucina Howard continued living at 6 West Lodge Avenue until her own death in 1920. Following Lucina Howard's death, Roy H. Howard (1894-1965) - the son of Walter D. Howard - lived at 6 West Lodge Avenue until the 1930s, although the house was intermittently rented to tenants (including during the mid-1920s). 

George Howard's brother in law - David Caslor (born 1848/1849) - operated a hardware store at 628 Queen Street West for 50 years (1882-1932). Further research is required to discern if the Caslor's hardware business on Queen Street West prompted the Howard family to move to Parkdale. 

During the turn of the 20th century (c. 1900), the Howard family briefly rented 6 West Lodge Avenue to Nathaniel Cuseck - a carpenter. The Howards also rented out 6 West Lodge Avenue during the mid-1920s, although had moved back into the property by 1930. 

Later Occupants and Uses:  

Please note the following dates are approximate and aim to provide a general overview of former occupants and uses of 4-6 West Lodge Avenue.

1927-1928:

4 West Lodge Avenue: Motor Parts & Service Company of Canada. 

6 West Lodge Avenue: Rose A. Melarkey - a widow. 

1930:

4 West Lodge Avenue: Motor Parts & Service Company of Canada. 

6 West Lodge Avenue: Roy H. Howard and Alex Mansfield.

1940:

4 West Lodge Avenue: Saturley & Bushell - roofing and sheet metal contractors; and John H. Nelson - repair shop.

6 West Lodge Avenue: Frank Scott. 

1950:

4 West Lodge Avenue: Cweco Industries Ltd. - machinists. 

6 West Lodge Avenue: Stanley Warchol. 

1960:

4 West Lodge Avenue: West End Auto Trim and Elcome & Schneider - tinsmiths.

6 West Lodge Avenue: John Green; Joucas Racys; and Joseph Patrick.

1969:

4 West Lodge Avenue: West End Auto Trim and Carl Schneider - tinsmith.

6 West Lodge Avenue: Stephen Hatzigeorgiou and Jerry Andreatos.

Present Day:

4-6 West Lodge Avenue are both presently used for residential purposes. 

(Research by Adam Wynne (December 2021))