Wychwood Park Tour

In 1874, a painter named Marmaduke Matthews, built the first house on Bracondale Hill, near Bathurst and Davenport.
The second one was built by Alexander Jardine, a friend of Mr. Matthews.
Together they purchased adjacent land, and in 1891 they registered a plan for a subdivision that became known as the gated community of Wychwood Park.

Many of the homes were built in the English Arts and Crafts Style and several of them were designed by Eden Smith.

The land was divided into irregularly shaped lots, and Taddle Creek was dammed up to create a pond. A park was designed around this new pond and tennis courts added to the acreage.

It should be noted here, that this is now one of the only parts of the city, where Taddle Creek is still visible above ground.

                                           Wychwood Park, general creek scene
                                               June 17, 1916  City of Toronto Archives
                                                                  Series 393, Item 13270

The streets and amenities here are paid for by the residents, and the community is pretty much managed by an executive council.
Several prominent figures have lived in the area, including Marshall McLuhan and Anatol Rappaport.
In the 1980's the area was threatened by demolition of one of the larger houses, for redevelopment. This prompted the trustees and residents to seek designation as a Heritage Conservation District.
In 1985, it became the first residential zone in Ontario to be granted heritage status.