Description:  

8 Cawthra Square is a 2.5 storey Queen Anne Revival house located on the north side of Cawthra Square in the Church-Wellesley Village neighbourhood of Toronto. 8 Cawthra Square was constructed in 1891/1892 — likely by local builder and lumber merchant Thomas Bryce. 

Historical photographs indicate that the exterior of 8 Cawthra Square is largely intact, albeit there have been some alterations over time — namely the removal of ornate woodworking on the porch, balcony, and gable. 


8 Cawthra Square and neighbouring 6 Cawthra Square were the first two houses constructed on the street and are representative of the earliest residential development of Cawthra Square.

The stone (potentially limestone) used on the front of 8 Cawthra Square (and neighbouring 6 Cawthra Square) may be from the Credit Valley. Please see the entry for 6 Cawthra Square — which was constructed by the Bryces at the same time as 8 Cawthra Square — for more information. 


Research is ongoing to identify the architect(s) of 6 and 8 Cawthra Square. 


Cawthra Square — A Brief History:   

Cawthra Square is a dead end residential street running west from Jarvis Street between Wellesley Street East and Gloucester Street in the Church-Wellesley Village neighbourhood of Toronto. Cawthra Square was developed in the late 1880s following the sale and subdivision of the Toronto Lacrosse Grounds in 1887/1888. The present-day western terminus of the street is Barbara Hall Park. 

The Toronto Lacrosse Grounds were established in 1867 by the Massey family. The grounds were the home of the Toronto Lacrosse Club and spanned along the west side of Jarvis Street between Wellesley Street East and Gloucester Street. Teams — including both First Nations and settler teams — from across Ontario, Québec, and New York competed at the grounds. From 1880 to the mid-1920s, the Granite Club (519 Church Street) abutted the Toronto Lacrosse Grounds / Cawthra Square to the west. 

By the 1880s, lands situated along Jarvis Street had become increasingly valuable. In 1887/1888, the Toronto Lacrosse Club moved to Rosedale and its grounds along Jarvis Street were subdivided and sold for redevelopment. Cawthra Square was created at this point in time. The street was named for the Cawthra family — an influential and wealthy mercantile-political family in 19th century Toronto who had a large mansion on nearby Jarvis Street during the late 19th century.  Nearby Monteith Avenue was also originally known as Cawthra Avenue.

Development along Cawthra Square intensified during the 1890s and early 1900s. The G. H. Gooderham House — situated at 504 Jarvis Street at the northwest corner of Cawthra Square and Jarvis Street — was constructed in the early 1890s. Gooderham's stables were located at the rear of the mansion and accessed via Cawthra Square where present-day 2 and 4 Cawthra Square are situated. By 1913, all lots on the north and south side of Cawthra Square had been built on. The north side of the street had 4 houses, whereas the south side of the street had 6 houses. 


Between 1884 and 1890, the Granite Club erected its ice rink building at the northeast corner of their property backing onto Cawthra Square. Later, during World War 2, the ice rink building was used as a drill and training hall by the Royal Canadian Air Force.


Following World War 2, the ice rink building became known as the Cawthra Square Building (14 Cawthra Square) and remained home to the RCAF Benevolent Fund and Air Cadet League of Canada until the early 1970s. The building was subsequently demolished in the mid-1970s, albeit part of its north wall remains along the north edge of Barbara Hall Park. The early 1970s also saw the demolition of all houses on the south side of Cawthra Square during the construction of the residential highrise at 100 Wellesley Street East.


During the mid-1970s, 519 Church Street became the 519 Church Street Community Centre. Barbara Hall Park — originally known as Cawthra Square Park — was created shortly after this. The park was renamed Barbara Hall Park in 2014 after Barbara Hall — the former Mayor of Toronto (1994-1997) who was the first mayor of a major Canadian city to march in a Pride Parade and the former Ontario Human Rights Commissioner. 


The HIV/AIDS Memorial is situated in Barbara Hall Park a short distance west of Cawthra Square. The original HIV/AIDS Memorial was established in the 1980s by Michael Lynch and provided the community with somewhere to grieve and honour those who have died. The current memorial — consisting of the stone pillars — was designed in 1993 by Patrick Fahn and contains engraved plaques with the names of Ontarians (largely gay men) who have died of HIV/AIDS, as well as engravings of the poem Cry by Michael Lynch and Circle of Stones by Shoshanna Addley. 


Of additional note is that Cawthra Square is one of the only streets in Toronto to be numbered backwards to the official City of Toronto address numbering system. 


Builder and First Resident - Thomas Bryce: 

Thomas Bryce (1843-1905) resided at 8 Cawthra Square with his family between 1892 and 1902/1903. 

Thomas Bryce was born in Symington, Scotland in 1843. In 1867, he emigrated to Toronto. Subsequently, in 1871, he married Louisa Hill (1842-1912). Thomas and Louisa Bryce had 4 children — 2 daughters and 2 sons (2 of whom died in childhood) — born between 1874 and 1883. 

Thomas Bryce was a local builder and lumber merchant. He was active in construction activities in Downtown Toronto from the mid-1870s until his death in 1905. Bryce was known to have undertaken construction and development activities in the Church-Wellesley Village, Bay-Cloverhill, Cabbagetown, Garden District, Parkdale, and St. John's Ward neighbourhoods. 

By May 1890, the Bryce Brothers — a construction company consisting of Alexander Bryce and Thomas Bryce — had purchased a lot or lots on the north side of Cawthra Square. The Bryces initially attempted to sell the undeveloped lots, but subsequently between 1891/1892 and 1901/1902 constructed four houses on the north side of the street (6 & 8 Cawthra Square in 1891/1892 and 10-12 Cawthra Square in 1901). 

By 1893, the Bryces' company had become known as Thomas Bryce & Company and/or Bryce & Company. Alongside construction activities, the Bryces dealt in lumber and asphalt pavement. Thomas Bryce later served on Toronto City Council representing Ward 2 and in the Court of Revision in 1900.

In 1903/1904, the Bryce family moved to 94 Woodlawn Avenue. Thomas Bryce died in 1905.


Later Occupants and Uses:  

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


1903/1904 to 1964:


Between 1903/1904 and 1964, 8 Cawthra Square was home to the Owen family.

The first generation of the Owen family to reside at 8 Cawthra Square consisted of Trevor Randulph-Jones Owen (1847-1937), his wife Florence Owen (1853-1932), and their family. The Owen family were from Laugharne, Wales and emigrated to Canada in the late 19th century. Trevor and Florence Owen had 6 children — 2 daughters and 4 sons (1 of whom died in infancy) — between 1875 and 1894. 

Prior to emigrating to Canada, Trevor R. Owen had served with the British Indian Army for many years. Oral history interviews with the family indicate that the Owen family were able to live off his military pension while residing in Toronto. 


Trevor and Florence Owen were the parents of Bishop Derwyn Trevor Owen (1876-1947). Bishop Owen served as the Fifth Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and the Sixth Anglican Bishop of Toronto and Niagara.


Their other sons were Professor Eric Trevor Owen (1882-1948) — a well-known Classics scholar at the University of Toronto; and Dr. Trevor Owen (1894-1964) — a well-known diagnostician physician in Toronto. 

Following the death of Trevor Randulph-Jones Owen in 1937, 8 Cawthra Square was inherited by Dr. Trevor Owen. Dr. Owen resided here until his own death in 1964. 

During the Great Depression and World War 2, the Owen family rented rooms to boarders. 
 

Mid-to-late 1960s: 

Following the death of Dr. Owen, 8 Cawthra Square was sold. The property was subsequently purchased by Peter Rickaby and converted to a rooming house. 


Present Day:

8 Cawthra Square is presently a private residence. 


Redevelopment Application:

In May 2023, a redevelopment application for a 45-storey condominium was proposed for 2-12 Cawthra Square. This redevelopment proposal proposes the demolition of 8 Cawthra Square and neighbouring 2, 4, 6, 10, and 12 Cawthra Square.



(Research by Adam Wynne)