Old Government House, Toronto — 1870 building
Canada → Ontario → Toronto
This Government House was a new building on the former Elmsley House site at King and Simcoe streets. Completed in 1870, it combined red brick and stone with a mansard roof, a carriage entrance and a conservatory adjoining the dining room. Ontario’s lieutenant-governors used it until 1912, before moving temporarily to Pendarves. Sources disagree about demolition: the lieutenant-governor’s history gives 1915, while Toronto Metropolitan University’s archival study documents dismantling in summer 1912. The discrepancy remains explicit rather than being silently resolved.
Visiting
The residence no longer exists. This is a historical building record, not a bookable attraction. Neither the earlier Elmsley House nor the later Chorley Park is treated as the same physical object.
Source review: 2026-10-30.