Description: 

480 Adelaide Street West is a 4-storey building situated at the northwest corner of Adelaide Street West and Maud Street within the Wellington Place neighbourhood of Toronto. 480 Adelaide Street West consists of a 3-storey hotel constructed in 1874/1875 that was converted to a commercial property during the late 19th century. 

Historically, 480 Adelaide Street West was known as 6 Maud Street. The switch to the 480 Adelaide Street West address occurred during the mid-to-late 20th century. 


Post-1980s, the property underwent further modifications including a 4th storey addition (with a large rooftop patio), a south addition (including the present day entrance and stairwells), the removal of the cornices, and the covering of the exterior with stucco. Over time, other alterations include the conversion of the original entryway to a window and the vertical expansion (downwards) of the second floor windows. Despite these alterations, the original 1874/1875 building remains visible on the Maud Street (east) elevation. The alterations could be reversed during potential restoration of the building. 

480 Adelaide Street West is located within the St. Andrew character area of the King-Spadina Heritage Conservation District (presently under appeal). The property is one of the oldest surviving properties within the area.


Use as a Hotel: 

From 1875 until the early-to-mid 1890s (c. 1892-1895), 480 Adelaide Street West operated as a hotel. 

The first known proprietor of the hotel was William Donaldson. Unfortunately, limited information is known about William Donaldson. Several individuals fit his potential profile in the 1881 census, including: William Donaldson (born c. 1818) — a ship captain; his son William Donaldson (born c. 1849) — also a ship captain; and William Donaldson (born c. 1838) — an engineer. All three of these William Donaldsons were Scottish-Canadian and Presbyterian.

The hotel frequently changed proprietors. By 1879/1880s, the proprietor was Charles Brelsford and it had become known as Brelsford's Hotel. By 1882/1883, the hotel had become known as St. Andrew's Hotel. The hotel likely served visitors to St. Andrew's Market, then an important economic hub of the city located immediately across the street. Later proprietors include Charles Brewer (c. 1884/1885), Miles Ogden (c. 1886/1887), James J. Scanlon (c. 1889/1892), and Catharine Fitzgerald (c. 1891/1892). 

 

Later Uses: 

E. Pullan & Company (Elias Pullan):

In the early-to-mid 1890s, Elias Pullan purchased the hotel to house his large family (including 10 children) and his business interests. Pullan was an eminent Jewish merchant within the City of Toronto. His business emerged in 1888 and was initially focused on the rag picking and waste paper trades. Pullan's business later expanded to include paper manufacturing, general junk and salvage services, and jobber services.

480 Adelaide Street West housed the headquarters of Pullan's business and his family's residence (prior to the family moving their residence to 80 D'Arcy Street in the early 20th century). Around the turn of the 20th century, the upper levels had also been converted to a number of residential apartments that were leased out to primarily Jewish tenants. Sections of the building were also leased to other Jewish merchants during this period of time, including Enusevsky, Maldevar, & Company (also junk and salvage dealers).
 
In 1911, a new paper manufacturing factory was constructed to the immediate north of 480 Adelaide Street West (with the factory being designed by Elias Pullan's son Henry Pullan, who had become an architect).  

By the 1930s, E. Pullan Ltd. also operated a galvanized iron warehouse in Toronto's Corktown district.

Elias Pullan was featured in The Jew in Canada (1926) by Arthur Daniel Hart. This biography has been attached to the photographs.


Harold E. Ballard Ltd.

From the late 1950s to the late 1970s, 480 Adelaide Street West housed Harold E. Ballard Ltd. Harold E. Ballard Ltd. specialized in textile machinery and equipment. The business was lucrative and supported by the surrounding garment industry in the King-Spadina district. Harold E. Ballard Ltd. shuttered in the 1970s. 

Harold E. Ballard (1903-1990) was an eminent businessman and sportsman in Canada. He is best known for being an executive and eventual owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs from the late 1950s until his death in 1990. Harold E. Ballard also competed as a speed skater in the Olympics during the 1920s. He later purchased the Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team in the late 1970s.

Harold. E. Ballard Ltd. was founded by his father Sidney Eustance Ballard. The company was originally known as Ballard Machinery Supplies Ltd. Alongside textile related machinery, the company also manufactured ice skates in its early years. Harold took over the family business in 1935, a year prior to his father's death.

For more information, please see: https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/harold-ballard 

The Harold E. Ballard Foundation — which finances capital projects with social benefit in Ontario — was established by his estate. 


Toronto Jewellery Enterprises:

Around the start of the 1980s, 480 Adelaide Street West was briefly home to Toronto Jewellery Enterprises — a jewellery manufacturing company.


Normal Rogul Fur Company Ltd.

From the early 1980s to 2003, 480 Adelaide Street West housed the Norman Rogul Fur Company. Norman Rogul (1918-2015) was an eminent Belarusian-Canadian furrier. He created fur garments for high-ranking members of the British Royal Family (Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Margaret, and Princess Anne), as well as prominent actresses (such as Joan Collins). Prior to operating at 480 Adelaide Street West, Rogul was based closer to Spadina Avenue.  


Present-Day (2023):

480 Adelaide Street West is presently subdivided into four or five offices.