James Cooper House is an historic house in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada. In 2008, the house became the heaviest residential structural relocation in Canadian history, when it was moved east and south from its original location. The relocation took place over two phases, moving east on September 25, 2008 and south on December 11, 2008, at a reported cost of . The house is located at the corner of Sherbourne Street and Linden, just south of

Bloor Street Bloor Street is a major east–west residential and commercial thoroughfare in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Bloor Street runs from the Prince Edward Viaduct, which spans the Don River Valley, westward into Mississauga where it ends at Central Park ...

. It was built in 1881 for James Cooper, a wealthy importer, manufacturer, and retailer of shoes. It was one of many mansions in the Sherbourne and Jarvis area, once among Toronto's wealthiest. The eight bedroom house was opulently constructed in the

Second Empire Second Empire may refer to: * Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783 * Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) * Second French Empire (1852–1870) ** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...

style with Classical detailing. The City of Toronto designated the structure a heritage property and affixed a ''Heritage Toronto'' plaque in 2010. After Cooper departed, the building became home to the Keeley Institute for Nervous Diseases, an organization assisting those with alcohol and substance abuse problems. In 1910, it became home to the Toronto

Knights of Columbus The Knights of Columbus (K of C) is a global Catholic fraternal service order founded by Michael J. McGivney on March 29, 1882. Membership is limited to practicing Catholic men. It is led by Patrick E. Kelly, the order's 14th Supreme Knight. ...

, who used the facility as a meeting and fundraising venue for almost a century and added the assembly hall seen in the black and white photograph from 1956.

Tridel Tridel is a major Canadian real estate developer based in Toronto, Ontario. It is the largest builder of condominiums in the Greater Toronto Area. Since being founded in the 1930s it has built some 85,000 homes. History Founding The co ...

development corporation purchased the building and its large lot in 2005, intending to erect a condominium tower on the site. The building would be preserved, but moved to a part of the lot about 60 feet away from its original location. The assembly hall addition would be demolished. This process began in 2008 when crews lifted the 800-ton house off its foundation and moved it to a temporary spot during construction. Tridel's new 32 storey tower is named "James Cooper Mansion," and the old house will serve as an amenities centre for the new building.

References

External links

Tridel page on the construction
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cooper, James, House Houses in Toronto Second Empire architecture in Canada Knights of Columbus buildings Houses completed in 1881 Relocated houses 1881 establishments in Ontario