The Grange (Toronto)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Grange is a historic manor in downtown Toronto, Canada. Today it is part of the Art Gallery of Ontario. The structure was built in 1817, making it the fourth oldest surviving building in the city. It was built by D'Arcy Boulton Jr., one of the town's leading citizens and part of the powerful Boulton family that played an important role in the Family Compact. Originally it was considerably west of the city, but over time the city grew and Boulton sold his considerable land holdings surrounding the manor at great profit.
The house was inherited by D'Arcy's son and Toronto mayor William Henry Boulton. When he died in 1874 the house passed to his widow. She remarried to the prominent scholar Goldwin Smith, who lived in the building for many years. Upon his death in 1910 the building became the home of the gallery. Since then the gallery has been expanded a number of times and the original manor makes up only a small part of the structure. The building also served as the first home of OCAD. Today it mainly houses offices of AGO employees.
The expanse of lawn to the south of the building, what is left of the grounds, is operated by the city as Grange Park. Also on the old grounds is St. George Church, which was founded by the Boultons and which burned down in 1956. Only the tower and original Sunday school building remain.
