Last House for a First Mayor
Meanderings around Toronto during Doors Open included a visit to the last home of William Lyon Mackenzie, leader of the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion and Toronto’s first mayor. The Victorian row house was bought for him by friends who took up a collection after he retired from public life. In the 1930s the deteriorated house was up for demolition, but was saved by concerned citizens who raised the money to buy it and eventually renovations began on the house. It opened to the public in 1950 and is now an informative treasure of Canadian history.
The house is quite small, three floors with a few tiny rooms on each to visit. The rooms are furnished with period wares, although none of it would be the original fodder as the house has changed hands several times since Mackenzie’s occupation. One always forgets how cramped Victorian interiors could be and this is a good example of how one would have lived 200 years ago.
The kitchen was my favourite domestic area of this townhouse. The windows were large and bright, and although below street level, it functioned as a pleasant place to work. The working space was well equipped with nineteenth century utensils, while the adjoining room featured a lot of export ware and lead crystal. Though it’s a museum, Mackenzie House does a fine job of making the place feel authentic — not many things are under glass or roped off. During Doors Open each room was equipped with a costumed interpreter to answer any questions; they entertained the punters with stories of times passed.
Perhaps the most unique feature of this tour was visiting the in-house print shop, where Mackenzie printed his own weekly broadsheet that was distributed to working class — namely farmers. Over the years, Mackenzie helmed many publications that were mostly politically minded. He worked hard to keep them financed, often running out of funds but never out of things to say. The shop at Mackenzie House is in working order, and a volunteer was on site performing demonstrations on the letter press.
If you’re in the area, this Georgian[esque] Townhouse is definitely worth a visit. It’s located on Bond Street in downtown Toronto and there is a small admission charge, details of which can be found here.
