Toronto Ghost Signs

This building is one of the oldest in Toronto. According to Charles Sauriol's Remembering the Don, it was built by the Taylor Brothers papermaking firm in 1846-7, and was known as the "Lower Mill".

There have been two riding schools at this location. In the 1940's, the Don View Riding School operated out of this building. As a photograph in Sauriol's book shows, the large V on the wall was painted by Don View. In the 1950's, Whitewood's Riding School was in business at this site, surviving being inundated by Hurricane Hazel in 1954 before finally being overwhelmed by the Don Valley Parkway and eventually shutting its doors in 1964. All those cars whizzing by must have spooked the poor horses.

The building is now part of the Todmorden Mills historical site, created as a Canadian Centennial project in 1967.

(Update, 2005: there is ongoing construction on this wall of the building, which may soon cover this up.)