Fire guts historic houses on Peter Street

          Semi-detached houses at 122-124 Peter Street in 2013.These houses, located near the intersection of Richmond and Peter Street, drew my attention the first time I saw them. It was early on a summer morning, when the soft glow of the early-day sun was reflecting pleasantly from their grey stucco facades, which overlook Peter Street. I published a post on my blog about these homes on June 13, 2013. At the time, I feared that despite their obvious charm, they were doomed to demolition as they were in very poor condition and their context within a residential street had been lost.Preventing heritage buildings from being demolished is very difficult in Toronto. It is common knowledge that a few owners of historic properties allow them to deteriorate to the level that they are beyond repair. They then apply for a demolition permit. We have lost many heritage structures this way. Adding to the problem, Ontario’s heritage preservation laws are weak. However, I was pleased when I hear the news that there is a good chance that the houses on Peter Street might escape this fate. A developer has purchased them and expressed a desire to include them within the high-rise condo project to be constructed on the property. The developer’s plan is to dismantle the houses and reconstruct them on the same site. However, the city is not in favour of the proposal so their future has not yet been confirmed. Fate intervened, causing the future of the homes to be in doubt again. During the early hours of Saturday July 7, 2018 a fire broke out, the cause not yet determined. An excellent article by Samantha Beattie in the Sunday (July 8th) edition of the Toronto Star reported the fire.A link to learn more about the history of the homes at 122-124 Peter Street.https://tayloronhistory.com/2013/06/13/torontos-architectural-gems1870s-houses-on-peter-street/

The houses on Sunday morning, July 8, 2108. The roof of the house on the south side of the semi-detached homes has collapsed.

              View of the house on the south side, its roof now missing.

View of the damage to the gable that the houses share. The bargeboard Victorian trim survives, though it is in poor condition.

View looking at the rear of the houses. The severity of the damage is more evident from this side.                    View of the second-floor level of the homes, following the fire.

          Rear view of the houses, Sunday morning, July 8, 2018.

                   Despite the damage, I hope these homes survive.To view the Home Page for this blog: https://tayloronhistory.com/For more information about the topics explored on this blog:https://tayloronhistory.com/2016/03/02/tayloronhistory-comcheck-it-out/              Books by the Author                  “ Lost Toronto”—employing detailed archival photographs, this recaptures the city’s lost theatres, sporting venues, bars, restaurants and shops. This richly illustrated book brings some of Toronto’s most remarkable buildings and much-loved venues back to life. From the loss of John Strachan’s Bishop’s Palace in 1890 to the scrapping of the S. S. Cayuga in 1960 and the closure of the HMV Superstore in 2017, these pages cover more than 150 years of the city’s built heritage to reveal a Toronto that once was.                         “Toronto’s Theatres and the Golden Age of the Silver Screen,” explores 50 of Toronto’s old theatres and contains over 80 archival photographs of the facades, marquees and interiors of the theatres. It relates anecdotes and stories by the author and others who experienced these grand old movie houses. To place an order for this book, published by History Press: https://www.historypress.net/catalogue/bookstore/books/Toronto-Theatres-and-the-Golden-Age-of-the-Silver-Screen/9781626194502 .Book also available in most book stores such as Chapter/Indigo, the Bell Lightbox and AGO Book Shop. (ISBN 978.1.62619.450.2)                  “Toronto’s Movie Theatres of Yesteryear—Brought Back to Thrill You Again” explores 81 theatres. It contains over 125 archival photographs, with interesting anecdotes about these grand old theatres and their fascinating histories. Note: an article on this book was published in Toronto Life Magazine, October 2016 issue. For a link to the article published by |Toronto Life Magazine: torontolife.com/…/photos-old-cinemas-doug–taylor–toronto-local-movie-theatres-of-y…The book is available at local book stores throughout Toronto or for a link to order this book: https://www.dundurn.com/books/Torontos-Local-Movie-Theatres-Yesteryear  

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