Castle Frank — Simcoe summer house
Canada → Ontario → Toronto
Castle Frank was the Simcoe family’s small secondary residence above the Don River, named for their son Francis. Elizabeth Simcoe’s diary records journeys between the garrison and the house, as well as the selection of its wooded site. Despite its name, it was a two-room log house rather than a fortified castle. The building burned in 1829 after years without regular occupation. Its inclusion rests on documented use by Upper Canada’s lieutenant-governor, not on the grandness of the name.
Visiting
No historic house survives. The library’s diary extracts and drawings provide a documented way to explore it remotely. A street or station bearing the name Castle Frank does not establish access to the original residential site.
Source review: 2026-10-30.