The house at 135 St George Street was completed in 1892 for George Gooderham (1820–1905). Gooderham was the president of the Gooderham and Worts Distillery, a family-owned company founded in 1832 and, by the late 19th century, the largest enterprise of its kind in the British Empire. In addition to his role in industry, Gooderham served as president of the Bank of Toronto and of several insurance companies. The Toronto General Hospital, the University of Toronto, and the Toronto College of Music were among the institutions to receive his philanthropic support. Gooderham financed many of Toronto’s landmark buildings, including the King Edward Hotel (1902) and the famous “Flat Iron Building” (1892), the headquarters of his business empire. He commissioned Toronto architect David Roberts Jr to design his residence on Bloor Street West, at the south end of the popular Annex neighbourhood.

The George Gooderham House displays the hallmarks of Romanesque Revival design, the most popular style of the time, with castle-like forms, round-arched openings, and elaborate sandstone detailing. The sprawling plan is anchored by a corner tower and, off St George Street, a porte-cochere. Toronto sculptors Holbrook and Mollington created the intricate carvings, with grotesques and human faces (including one of architect Henry Sproatt, who collaborated on the design). The elaborate interiors incorporate finely detailed wood finishes, a monumental three-storey staircase, and parquet floors with mahogany inlay. Gooderham named the house “Waveney,” after a river near his birthplace in Norfolk, England. Gooderham resided here until his death in 1905, when he was described as the wealthiest man in Ontario, with a personal fortune of $25 million. The York Club, a private club for gentlemen, has owned the property since 1910. The George Gooderham House is the last surviving example of the mansions that lined Bloor Street in the late 19th century.

Kathryn Anderson