Montgomery's Inn
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Montgomery's Inn is a historic home and inn in south Etobicoke in the city of Toronto, Ontario.
Built in 1832 in a Georgian style with later additions, the inn has been restored to an 1847 period, and operates as a museum of the City of Toronto. Once in danger of demolition, it is a cherished remnant of colonial times in Upper Canada. Though most of its artefacts are not original to the building, they are period pieces, and a few belonged to the Montgomery family.
Montgomery's Inn operated as Etobicoke's civic museum before the City of Etobicoke was absorbed into the City of Toronto in 1998. Yet it maintains a tradition of showcasing Etobicoke neighborhood history through historical interpretive displays in the modern sections of the building. Travelers are not permitted to lodge there anymore, but school groups have overnighted as part of the museum's educational outreach program.
Located at the southeast corner of Islington Avenue and Dundas Street, it was built on the historic colonial route connecting Toronto (then called York) with Dundas to the west, and around Lake Ontario to Niagara-on-the-Lake (then Newark). The Inn was located on Mimico Creek, in a neighborhood known as Mimico. But when a train station and then a post office opened with that name nearer the shore of Lake Ontario, a new name was sought. At a meeting held at the Inn, the story goes that councillors could not come up with a satisfactory name. They asked the wife of one of the men where she was born, and when she reported "Islington" in London, England, they adopted it. Today, there is some debate as to which modern neighbourhood this belongs to, but many agree it resides in Humber Valley Village.
Staff offer guided tours of the Inn, but self-guided tours are permitted. Highlights include the Montgomery family's private sitting room, a bar with its wooden cage, the Victorian meeting hall upstairs, and an open–hearth kitchen, which serves treats to visitors, made the old–fashioned way.
For a couple hours each afternoon, a Tea Room serves pots of tea and light snacks for a modest price. There, next to an open fireplace, is a baking oven which, if a fundraising campaign is successful, will operate once more. A bookshop sells souvenirs and items related to the Inn, its period, and neighborhood. A local–history archives is available for research.
The original owner also had land further east on Dundas Street, which recently became an infill townhome development. This project is called Montgomery Estates.
Thomas Montgomery is buried in a gated cemetery on Dundas Street, between Islington and Kipling. The key to the gate is at the Inn, and can be requested to access his plot.
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[edit] A Window to Colonial Times
 The foreground section was built of rubble stone around 1830. |
 The family room was off-limits to customers. |
 Thomas Montgomery ran a prosperous business and farm from this room. |
 Strangers commonly shared a bed, sleeping in reverse positions. |
 The original Inn sign was rescued from the trash. |
 Fuel for the kitchen hearth, whose treats are shared with visitors. |
 The bar was discovered hidden by a wall during renovations. |
 The pantry served guests and the family. |
 Dances and meetings were held upstairs under the gaze of a new queen. |
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