Beard Building

The Beard Building is regarded as Toronto's first skyscraper, and was completed in 1894.[1] Designed by E.J. Lennox, It was planned to be a nine-storey, iron-framed structure, but it only reached seven storeys when completed and was a more traditional wood/brick combination.

The Beard Building was a bank at street level, a commercial and office tower, and a hotel. The building was named after George Beard, the original landowner of the site at Jarvis St. and King St. East.[2]

It was demolished in the mid 1930s, but surrounding structures, including St. Lawrence Hall, in the intersection survive to this day.[3] The current site is occupied by a low rise condo development.

References

  1. ^ "The Beard Building". Emporis. http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=streetbeardbuilding-toronto-canada. Retrieved 2008-02-18. 
  2. ^ "The Beard Building: E.J. Lennox UnBound!". Urbanism. Archived from the original on 2007-09-11. http://web.archive.org/web/20070911032150/http://pages.interlog.com/~urbanism/lennox.html. Retrieved 8 January 2010. 
  3. ^ "Obsolete Buildings are Being Torn Down." The Toronto Daily Star. July 30, 1935, pg. 7