Gibson House is a historical

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

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. It is located on Yonge Street, in the North York Centre neighbourhood of the former city of North York.

History

The property was first acquired by David Gibson, a Scottish immigrant, land surveyor, prior to the

Rebellion of 1837 Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

. For his activities in the Rebellion, his house was destroyed and he was banished from

Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada (french: link=no, province du Haut-Canada) was a part of British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of th ...

. Gibson fled to nearby western New York, settling with his family in Lockport. Although he was threatened with losing his land, he continued to own the property in what was then York County, near Toronto. His wife was not banished, and she was able to travel between Lockport and Toronto to collect rents and profits on the farmstead. In 1843, Gibson was pardoned, along with many who took part in the Rebellion. He returned with his family to York County in 1848 and built this house in 1851. Its style reflects a prosperous man, and some of its furniture and engravings reflect his U.S. residence in the motif. Gibson House is set back from

Yonge Street Yonge Street (; pronounced "young") is a major arterial route in the Canadian province of Ontario connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. Once the southernmost leg of provincial H ...

, one of the colony's pioneer roads and today often called the world's longest street. It is shielded from traffic, however, by construction hoarding for the Gibson Square Condominium development. Gibson House once welcomed carriages to its front door, now shielded from

by construction. The house is one of the several museums operated by the City of Toronto. Gibson established an apple orchard on the property in 1832, of which one tree remains at the corner of Yonge Street and Park Home Ave. The orchard (and the remaining tree) produce Tolman Sweet apples. In 2016, the tree was selected as a winner in a local survey of Toronto trees as a "Survivor". Grafts from it have been used to propagate the species.

Heritage Protection

The red brick

Georgian Revival Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover— George I, George II, Ge ...

farmhouse is protected under Part IV of the '' Ontario Heritage Act'', designated by the former City of North York on December 15, 1980. The bylaw notes "David Gibson House, 1851 designed by David Gibson. The building is recommended for designation on architectural grounds because it is a finely restored example of a Georgian dwelling. The well balanced, symmetrical front facade consisting of nine equally spaced windows is highlighted by the doorway with its semi-elliptical fan transom and two side lights. David Gibson was an early farmer and surveyor and as a politician was an ardent supporter of

William Lyon Mackenzie William Lyon Mackenzie (March12, 1795 August28, 1861) was a Scottish Canadian-American journalist and politician. He founded newspapers critical of the Family Compact, a term used to identify elite members of Upper Canada. He represented Yor ...

. For his part in the successful rebellion Gibson's house was burned and it was not until he returned from the United States in 1849 that the present house was begun." The property is listed as a "Passport Place" by the

National Trust for Canada The National Trust for Canada (french: La Fiducie nationale du Canada; formerly known as the Heritage Canada Foundation) is a national registered charity in Canada with the mandate to inspire and lead action to save historic places, and promot ...

, a featured historic site on their website.

Programs

Tours are available, and a museum attached to the old house offers insight into the lives of a family which continued to reside here into the 20th Century. Children's programs welcome school groups and birthday parties, and certain days (e.g., First of July) offer guests a chance to play period games, sample kitchen treats, and help make ice cream.

Affiliations

The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and

Virtual Museum of Canada The Digital Museums Canada (DMC; , ''MNC'') is a funding program in Canada "dedicated to online projects by the museum and heritage community," helping organizations to build digital capacity. Administered by the Canadian Museum of History (CMH) ...

External links

Gibson House

References