Description: 


160 St. George Street is a 2.5 storey house located on the west side of St. George Street approximately 65 meters south of Bloor Street West on the University of Toronto St. George Campus. 160 St. George Street was designed in the Annex house style in 1894 by architect Edgar Beaumont Jarvis working on commission for Columbus Hopkins Greene. 160 St. George Street was completed in 1895.   

A photograph of 160 St. George Street from the October 1896 edition of the Canadian Architect and Builder journal has been included with this entry. The Canadian Architect and Builder noted — in this edition — that "the materials employed in the construction of this house are plum-coloured hard burned brick and light grey stone. The trimmings are painted in bronze green" (page 161). 

Please note that prior to 1898/1899, 160 St. George Street was known as 158 ¼ St. George Street. Please also note that despite being constructed in 1894/1895, 160 St. George Street does not appear in Fire Insurance Plans until the 1913 edition. 

In 1947, the ground floor of the front (east) elevation of 160 St. George Street was altered. Attached are illustrations from The Spirit of Kappa Alpha (1993) depicting this alteration. Please note that the majority of the 1894/1895 house remains intact despite these alterations and that historical imagery and illustrations could assist with restoration.  

A 1-storey outbuilding was constructed at the rear of 160 St. George Street — along bp Nichol Lane — between 1924 and 1947. Research is ongoing regarding the historical uses of this outbuilding (coach house, garage, stables, etc.).  


In 2022, 160 St. George Street was acquired by the University of Toronto. 

Original Architect - Edgar Beaumont Jarvis:  

The original architect of 160 St. George Street was Edgar Beaumont Jarvis. Jarvis designed the property in the Annex house style in 1894 and construction was completed by 1895.

The Ontario Association of Architects has provided the following biography of Edgar Beaumont Jarvis: 

"Edgar Beaumont Jarvis (1864-1948) was a prominent Toronto based architect who designed a number of distinguished buildings in the city and around the province. Jarvis was involved with the Roman Stone Company, the producer of concrete aggregate widely used as a stone substitute in the first two decades of [the 20th] century. 

Beaumont Jarvis, the eldest son of Edgar John Jarvis, was born on July 7, 1864 to one of the leading Toronto families. He served an apprenticeship with the Toronto architectural firm of Smith and Gemmell beginning in 1884 and established his own practice in Toronto in 1888. Jarvis became a partner in 1890 in the firm of Knox, Elliot and Jarvis for a year and returned to practicing alone in 1892. He remained in Toronto until 1920 when he moved to Belleville, returning in 1931 and retiring in 1937. 

In 1889, he joined Wilm Knox and John Elliott in a partnership that was privileged to win the competition to design the Confederation Life Building, Richmond at Yonge Street, Toronto (1890-1892) a bold, massive Richardson Romanesque structure enlivened by chateauesque touches and fanciful detail. 

Over the years, he designed a variety of Toronto buildings, including: Janes Building, Yonge Street at King Street East (1891); Hanlan's Hotel, Toronto Island (1893); The McKinnon Building, Jordan and Melinda Street (1893); Brown Brothers Warehouse, Wellington Street West (1899) and the Art Gallery Building, Canadian National Exhibition Grounds (1902). Jarvis designed the Sheppard Apartments, Charles Street East (1907), planned in a U-shape to incorporate landscaping into the building and decorated with robust Edwardian detailing. His residence for Henry M. Pellatt was a noble design in stone with precise arrangement of windows in a Tudor style complete with a stepped tower.  In 1898-1899, he designed the Chapel, Concert Hall, and classroom building for Loretto Abbey, Wellington Street West. The chapel had a richly decorated Baroque interior with a coffered vault above the nave and large dome over the crossing. 

Outside Toronto, he designed many buildings including: Hospital, Kitchener (1894); Victoria School, Richmond Street, Brantford (1897); Royal Muskoka Hotel, Lake Rosseau (1901); Carnegie Library, Orangeville (1905); Carnegie Library, Lucknow (1906); and Albert College, Trent Road, Belleville (1922-1924)." 

Recollections of a Neighbourhood: Huron-Sussex from UTS to Stop Spadina (2013) further notes that: 

"Huron-Sussex boasts several homes with work by the architect Edgar Beaumont Jarvis (1864-1948). He designed 36 Sussex Avenue and 160 St. George Street, later the Kappa Alpha fraternity house, and he did renovations at 29 and 34 Sussex. Jarvis trained in the United States and practised from the late 1880s on; his style was considered robust, not grand" (page 39). 


First Occupants - Columbus Hopkins Greene and Family: 

160 St. George Street was first home to Columbus Hopkins Greene (1830-1921) and his wife Annette Greene (born 1838) between its construction in 1894/1895 and 1896/1897. Research is ongoing to determine if any of the Greene children also lived at the property during this time. 

Columbus Hopkins Greene was born in 1830 in Lundy's Lane (Niagara, Canada) to Reverend Anson Greene (1802-1879) and Rachel Hopkins (1812-unknown). The Greenes were United Empire Loyalists. Reverend Greene was prominent Methodist clergyman who emigrated from New York to Canada in 1823. During the 1840s to 1860s, Reverend Greene was involved with the establishment and administration of Victoria College. 

Columbus Hopkins Greene married Annette Greene (née Graves) in Woodstock (Ontario) in 1858. By 1859, they were living in Toronto. Columbus and Annette Greene had 7 children — 1 daughters and 6 sons — born between 1859 and 1870. They were also the grandparents of Vincent Graves Greene — the founder of the Vincent Graves Greene Philatelic Research Foundation. Prior to living at 160 St. George Street, the Greenes lived on Sherbourne Street and Gerrard Street East in the Garden District. 


In Toronto, Columbus Hopkins Greene was a barrister, lawyer, and public notary. He was called to the bar prior to 1859. In 1859, Columbus Hopkins Greene was nominated as an aldermanic candidate for Saint James Ward, but later withdrew from the election. During the mid-19th century, Greene was in a business partnership with Geoffrey Hawkins (the brother of Sir Henry Hawkins, the Lord Brampton) at the law firm Greene & Hawkins, albeit this partnership was dissolved in 1863. He then appears to have established his own law practice. By the 1890s, he had established the law firm Greene and Greene (based at 10 Adelaide Street East) with his two sons Henry Greene and Sydney Greene.  

Columbus Hopkins Greene died in Toronto at age 91 on 1 October 1921. At the time of his death, Greene was residing at the Elliott House on Church Street (at Shuter Street) and was still practicing law.  

Later Occupants and Uses:  

Please note this list of former occupants and uses is not exhaustive and aims to provide a general overview. Dates are also approximate. 


1897/1898 to 1932- Bank of Montreal Managers:

Between 1897/1898 and 1931/1932, 160 St. George Street was home to consecutive managers of the head Ontario office (branch) of the Bank of Montreal. This branch — which was also the headquarters for the Toronto operations of the bank — was located at the northwest corner of Front Street and Yonge Street in Toronto. This bank branch was renovated into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the early 1990s. 

Research is ongoing to determine whether the Bank of Montreal owned the property during this period — please see below for further information. It appears the Bank of Montreal may have sold the property to the Kappa Alpha Literary Society during the Great Depression and following the retirement of Graeme G. Adam in 1932.


1897/1898 to 1905/1906 — Angus H. Kirkland and Family: 

Between 1897/1898 and 1905/1906, 160 St. George Street was home to Angus Kirkland (1850-1906), his wife Janet McKay Morrison (1822-1903), and their two children. 

Angus Kirkland was born in London (Ontario) in 1849 and was affiliated with the Bank of Montreal for many years.  While living at 160 St. George Street, Angus Kirkland was the manager of the head Ontario office (branch) of the Bank of Montreal and also oversaw the bank's Toronto operations. 
 

The Globe (Toronto) provided the following obituary of Angus Kirkland on 4 June 1906:   

"Angus Kirkland Dead.  Toronto Manager of Bank of Montreal Passes Away. He had been with the Bank for a Generation - the Funeral will take place today, Privately - Ill for some time. 

Mr. Angus Kirkland, manager of the Bank of Montreal, died at 2 o'clock yesterday morning at his residence, 160 Saint George Street. Mr. Kirkland had been ill for some time and the end was not unexpected. He lived a widow, a daughter, Mrs. Marion Mackenzie, and a son, Mr. Travers Kirkland. The funeral, which will be private, will take place at 3 o'clock this afternoon from the residence to St. Michael's Cemetery.  

The late Mr. Kirkland was widely known in financial circles. He had been with the Bank of Montreal for about thirty-six years, commencing his career in the head office in Montreal. He was afterwards transferred to Toronto and opened branches of the bank in Almonte and Chatham. He was, for some time, in charge of the Winnipeg office of the branch, and about nine years ago, came from Winnipeg to Toronto to assume the management here. Mr. Kirkland was greatly interested in sports and athletics and was a member of the Hunt Club, the Ontario Jockey Club, and the Toronto Club."  

(The Globe (Toronto), 4 June 1906, 12).

1906/1907 to 1914 - Douglas Arthur Braithwaite:

Between 1906/1907 and 1914, 160 St. George Street was home to Douglas Arthur Braithwaite (1855-1934). Douglas Arthur Braithwaite was born in England in 1855 and was affiliated with the Bank of Montreal from 1872 to 1917.  While living at 160 St. George Street, Douglas Arthur Braithwaite was the manager of the head Ontario office (branch) of the Bank of Montreal and also oversaw the bank's Toronto operations.  

The Globe (Toronto) provided the following biography of Douglas Arthur Braithwaite in his April 1934 obituary: 

"Montreal, April 11 - One of Canada's noted bankers, Arthur Douglas Braithwaite, 79, Assistant General Manager of the Bank of Montreal at the time of his retirement in 1917, died here today.  

Born in England in 1855, Mr. Braithwaite joined the staff of the Bank of Montreal on arrival here in 1872. He established branches of the bank at each new railhead during the time the Canadian Pacific Railway was laying tracks in the Western Provinces, and was particularly active in Regina and Calgary in the early days of those cities.  

Stationed at Hamilton

He was Manager of the Hamilton, Ont., branch of the bank for many years, and also had charge for a time of the bank's New York agency. In 1914, he was appointed Assistant General Manager with offices at Montreal and retired three years later. The Dominion Government called upon him in 1919 to represent Canada in parleys held in Russia with a view to reviving trade connections between the two countries.  

A follower of sports, Mr. Braithwaite was in his younger days a great horseman, and for many years, kept a stable of horses. During his stay at Hamilton, Ont., he gained an enviable reputation as an oarsman.

Interested in social problems, Mr. Braithwaite held the Presidency of the Royal Victorian Order of Nurses, and was also Chairman of the Parks and Playgrounds Association. 

He was a member of several clubs, including the York Club, Toronto, and the Wellington Club of London, England. He was Honorary President of the Mount Royal Club in Montreal. 

Two Daughters Survive

His survivors are two daughters, Mrs. S. C. Snively of Toronto; and Mrs. T. T. Stoker of Montreal; two brothers, Dr. Edward Braithwaite of Edmonton, and Major-General Sir Walter Braithwaite, K. C. B., Governor of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea, England. 

Funeral services will be conducted here tomorrow and internment will be made at Hamilton, Ontario." 

(The Globe (Toronto), 12 April 1934, 12).  

Please note that some sources provide his name as Douglas Arthur Braithwaite and other sources provide his name as Arthur Douglas Braithwaite. 

1914 to 1932 - Graeme Gibson Adam and Nettie Adam:

Between 1914 and 1931/1932, 160 St. George Street was home to Graeme Gibson Adam (1864-1947). Graeme Gibson Adam was born in Toronto in 1864 and was affiliated with the Bank of Montreal for many years.  While living at 160 St. George Street, Graeme Gibson Adam was the manager of the head Ontario office (branch) of the Bank of Montreal and also oversaw the bank's Toronto operations.   

The Globe and Mail provided the following biography of Graeme Gibson Adam in his August 1947 obituary: 

"Graeme Gibson Adam, 83, retired manager of the head office of the Bank of Montreal, died yesterday at his home in Weston.

Born in Toronto, son of the late Mercer and Jane Gibson Adam, received his education at McGill Preparatory School.

Two years with the John Lovell Publishing Company in New York, Mr. Adam returned to Toronto in 1884 and joined the staff of the Ontario Bank. Following the absorption of this bank by the Bank of Montreal in 1906, he served as manager of various branches in the City. In 1914, he was appointed manager of the Toronto head office, continuing until his retirement in 1932. He was also former chairman of the advisory board of the Royal Trust Company.  

Mr. Adam has been a resident of Weston since 1912, when he acquired a farm and indulged his hobby for gardening. His Weston home, known as The Elms, is noted for its lilacs and roses. He was a member of the Toronto Golf Club, the Toronto Hunt Club, the Canadian Club, and an active worker at St. Philips' Anglican Church, Weston.

Surviving are his widow, the former Nettie Rolph; a sister, Mrs. Ethel Dwight, New York; and a brother, Reginald Adam, Akron, Ohio His only daughter, Madeline, was killed in a motor accident in 1917."

(The Globe and Mail, 4 August 1947, 20). 

Please note that the Adam family concurrently resided at The Elms and 160 St. George Street during this period. 

1932 to 2022 - Kappa Alpha Literary Society (Fraternity):

Between 1932 and 2022, 160 St. George Street was home to the University of Toronto Kappa Alpha Literary Society. The University of Toronto Kappa Alpha Literary Society is a fraternity chapter of the broader Kappa Alpha Society. The Kappa Alpha Society was founded in 1825 at Union College in Schenectady, New York and was the first fraternity society in North America. The University of Toronto chapter was founded in 1892 and was the second fraternity established in Canada after Zeta Psi in 1889.  

Prior to 1930, the University of Toronto Kappa Alpha Literary Society was based at 3 Hoskin Avenue. This property was expropriated by the University of Toronto in 1930 and proceeds from the expropriation were used to purchase 160 St. George Street in 1932. Notably, prior to the University of Toronto's expansion north of Harbord Street in the 1950s and 1960s, this section of St. George Street (between Harbord Street and Bloor Street West) was known as fraternity row and was more residential (rather than institutional) in character.  

During this period, 160 St. George Street was owned by The Kappa Alpha Residence Ltd. — a corporation established in 1901 which consisted of alumni, members, and tenants and which sought to maintain and operate the building. 

As noted above, in 1947, the fraternity expanded the ground floor of the main (east) elevation of 160 St. George Street. Attached are illustrations from The Spirit of Kappa Alpha (1993) depicting this alteration. Please note that the majority of the 1894/1895 house remains intact despite these alterations and that historical imagery and illustrations could assist with restoration. 

Acquisition by University of Toronto:  

In 1956, the University of Toronto established its Plateau Committee. The Plateau Committee sought to plan the future expansion of the University of Toronto, including both increased enrollment and physical campus expansion north of Harbord Street and west of St George Street. From the 1950s onward, the University of Toronto acquire many of the properties in the area. In several cases, such as during the construction of Robarts Library and the Chiller Plant, the properties acquired by the University of Toronto were demolished. Until 2022, 160 St. George Street remained one of the few non-University of Toronto owned properties on St. George Street between Harbord Street and Bloor Street West. 

Following the launch of the University of Toronto Secondary Plan in the 2010s, University of Toronto officials began meeting with the Kappa Alpha Alumni Association to discuss their long-term vision for campus development and planning. From 2018 onward, University of Toronto officials disclosed a desire to acquire 160 St. George Street to allow for the development of an institutional building and that they would exercise expropriation of 160 St. George Street if Kappa Alpha refused to sell. 

In 2022, the University of Toronto acquired 160 St. George Street. In October 2022, exterior fraternity signage was removed from the property by University of Toronto contractors. Internal heritage elements - including fraternity crests and other decorative elements - were removed by the fraternity for use in a future home. 


(Research by Adam Wynne and Jorge Quesada Davies)