Spadina House

For a lot of Torontonians, Spadina House is overshadowed by it’s neighbour, Casa Loma, as if by an older sibling, so they have never been to this incredible site: historical Toronto truly comes alive at Spadina House!

Architecturally and historically, Spadina (pronounced ‘Spadeena’) is extraordinary, and is actually a house-within-a-house, featuring a lower room with an archeological dig on display, and surrounding grounds that are sweeping and spectacular. My favorite location in the house is the grey room on the uppermost floor, particularly untouched by the hands of time.

I’ve included this as one of Urban Flute Project’s haunted sites, but I’ll have to double-check next time I drop by to play…I encourage you to visit by for an indelible glimpse into Toronto’s past.

Recommended are the Music in the Orchard, their annual Strawberry Festival in the late spring, as well as Open Doors Toronto; the grounds alone are rewarding at any time of year, simply to step away from the crush of the city for a few minutes…

www.toronto.ca/culture/spadina.htm

Spadina House

Located beside Casa Loma, this is the third Spadina House on the site. The original owner of the property was William Warren Baldwin, a prominent early resident of York who was a lawyer, doctor and sometimes architect. Baldwin’s grandson sold the eighty acre estate to financier James Austin in 1866, who erected the present building. It has undergone some major renovations over the years, including the addition of a third floor in 1912. The Austin family remained at Spadina House until 1980, when the building and six acres of the original estate were generously donated to the city as a museum. An unusual feature of Spadina House is that most of the furnishings and artwork were donated with the building, lending an air of authenticity and integrity to it.   

source:  www.historyoftoronto.ca/history/buildings4.html