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Description:
1339 King Street West is a 2.5 storey Queen Anne Revival style house located on the south side of King Street West between Cowan Avenue and Dunn Avenue in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. 1339 King Street West was designed in 1898 by the architectural firm Simpson & Ellis (Henry Simpson and James Augustus Ellis) working on commission to Dr. Joseph Bascom. Construction of the house was completed by 1899.
1339 King Street West was the first house built on the south side of King Street West between Cowan Avenue and Dunn Avenue following the completion of the Parkdale Methodist Church at the southeast corner of King Street West and Dunn Avenue in 1889/1890. Please note that the Parkdale Methodist Church became the Parkdale United Church in 1925. The original church building was demolished in the late 1970s and replaced with the extant 11-storey Phoenix Place tower (which contains church-related spaces on its ground floor and affordable housing on the upper floors).
In 1988/1989, the Shalom House outreach centre was established at 1339 King Street West. A rear addition for the centre was added this same year. In 2006, Shalom House was renovated from an outreach centre into 10 units of affordable housing. The Parkdale United Church Foundation took over operations of Shalom House at this point in time.
Please note that while 1339 King Street West was constructed in 1898/1899, it does not appear in Fire Insurance Plans until the 1913 Edition.
Architect - Simpson & Ellis:
Simpson & Ellis was an architectural firm formed by a partnership of two eminent and influential Toronto architects: Henry Simpson and James Augustus Ellis. The firm was active from June 1897 until October 1898. The firm designed buildings in Toronto, Scarborough, and Thunder Bay (formerly Port Arthur and Fort William). One of the firm's most well-known buildings — and the firm's final project — was the Parkdale Presbyterian Church on nearby Dunn Avenue.
For more information on the architects, please see these Biographical Dictionary of Canadian Architects: 1800-1950 articles:
Henry Simpson: http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/1306
James Augustus Ellis: http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/node/1556
First Residents - Dr. Joseph Bascom and Family:
Between its completion in 1898/1899 and 1917, 1339 King Street West was home to Dr. Joseph Bascom (1837/1838-1929) and his family.
Dr. Joseph Bascom was born in 1837/1838 in Uxbridge, Upper Canada. His family were settlers that arrived in Upper Canada from New Hampshire (United States) during the early 19th century.
In 1860, Joseph Bascom graduated from the Toronto School of Medicine and returned to Uxbridge where he established a practice. In 1863, he married Annie Mills Workman (1843-1919). Joseph and Annie had 5 biological children — 1 daughter and 4 sons — between 1864 and 1868; however, 4 of the biological children died in infancy. Only the youngest son — Frank Bascom (1868-1905) — survived to adulthood. Historical records indicate that the Bascoms also adopted a daughter (potentially one of their nieces) prior to 1892.
In 1892, the Bascom family relocated to Toronto in hopes of alleviating Annie's asthma symptoms. In Toronto, Dr. Bascom practiced medicine in the Parkdale neighbourhood for 25 years. He was a Charter Fellow of the Academy of Medicine and was the first Life Fellow of the Academy of Medicine.
The Bascoms were active members of the Parkdale Methodist Church congregation (located next door to their home at 1339 King Street West from 1898/1899 onward) and later the United Church. Annie Bascom served as the President of the Congregation's Woman's Missionary Society from 1897 to 1906, as well as serving as the Dominion Secretary of the Women's Christian Temperance Union. The Bascom Mission Band — a children's organization which also published a cookbook — was named in her honour.
During World War I, the Bascoms spent time in the United States.
Annie Bascom died in 1919 of pneumonia. Subsequently, during the mid-1920s, Dr. Bascom moved in with his niece in Markdale. Dr. Bascom died in February 1929, aged 92.
Later Residents and Uses:
Please note that this list of former residents and uses is not exhaustive and aims to provide a general overview. Dates are also approximate.
The Crowley Family:
Between 1918 and 1958, 1339 King Street West was home to the Crowley family. The Crowley family consisted of Timothy Crowley (1863-1929), his wife Caroline Elizabeth Crowley (née Carey) (1866-1958), and some of their 4 children (3 daughters and 1 son).
Timothy Crowley was the President of the Crowley Manufacturing Company, which was a Toronto-based company that manufactured a diverse range of wooden products. Following his death in 1929, his widow Caroline Crowley continued living at 1339 King Street West until her own death in 1958.
Apartment House:
By the mid-1960s, 1339 King Street West had been subdivided into 7 rental apartments. Further research is required to determine whether this was as a rooming house format and/or whether these were self-contained units.
Shalom House (Parkdale United Church):
Since 1988/1989, 1339 King Street West has housed Shalom House. Shalom House was established as an outreach centre, which provided services such as food drives, free meals, community kitchen access, refugee services, and a sewing cooperative. A rear addition was also added to the property in 1988.
In 2006, Shalom House was renovated into 10 units of affordable housing. The Parkdale United Church Foundation took over operations of Shalom House at this point in time.
Proposed Redevelopment:
In May 2022, the Parkdale United Church Foundation announced plans to redevelop 1337-1339 King Street West with a 10-storey plus mews affordable housing project. This proposed redevelopment includes the demolition of 1339 King Street West.
(Research by Adam Wynne)
