5 of the oldest buildings in Toronto open this weekend

Toronto’s oldest buildings include a historic inn, heritage homes and a log cabin.

Although people have lived in what is now called Toronto for over 10,000 years, the remaining historical buildings date from the city’s colonial history.

Many of these buildings open for free once a year in the annual Doors Open event. The event is typically held at the end of May and is on this weekend on May 24 and 25.

More than 150 Toronto buildings are open to the public. Hours vary at each site so be sure to check the website before heading out.

Here are five of Toronto’s oldest remaining buildings to explore at Doors Open:

Scadding Cabin

Scadding Cabin is Toronto’s oldest surviving building. It was built in 1794 for John Scadding, assistant to Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe. Simcoe was the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario). He served from 1791 to 1796.

This one-room house, constructed of squared white-pine logs, originally stood on the east bank of the Don River, just south of present-day Queen Street. In 1879, then-owner John Smith donated the cabin to the York Pioneers. The Pioneers rebuilt the cabin on its present site at Exhibition Place in time for the inauguration of the Toronto Industrial Exhibition, which later became the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).

This building is typically only open to the public during Doors Open and the CNE.

Fort York

The collection of buildings at Fort York Historic Site date back to 1814. Originally constructed in 1793, the buildings were destroyed in the War of 1812 by American forces in April 1813. British soldiers, First Nations warriors and Upper Canadian militiamen stood together against the United States and its mission to capture Toronto in the War of 1812, the Fort York website states.

The fort was rebuilt in 1814 and two blockhouses remain from that time.

Fort York is open year-round and offers tours, exhibits and seasonal demonstrations.

Montgomery’s Inn

This historic inn was built in 1831 to shelter travellers.  The Georgian-style building was named for its innkeeper, Thomas Montgomery, an Irish immigrant who once owned 400 acres of land in what is now Etobicoke.

The building is now a museum and hosts a Farmer’s Market on Wednesdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. It is located at 4709 Dundas St. W. in Etobicoke.

Toronto’s First Post Office

Built in 1833, Canada’s oldest and the city’s first purpose-built post office is in the St. Lawrence Old Town neighbourhood at 260 Adelaide St. E. Now operated by the Town of York Historical Society the building is a museum that still fulfills its original purpose as a fully functioning post office. The museum tells the story of the Town of York – the early City of Toronto – and of the early postal system in Canada.

Colborne Lodge

Located in High Park at 11 Colborne Lodge Dr., this home was built in 1837 by John and Jemima Howard who emigrated from England in 1832. John worked as an architect, city surveyor and engineer in Toronto.

In 1873, Howard and his wife deeded their 165-acre country property to the City of Toronto. This deed included an agreement that the park remain “for the free use, benefit and enjoyment of the citizens of Toronto and it be called High Park.”

Other historic buildings of note that are not part of Doors Open this year include Gibraltar Point Lighthouse (1809), John Cox Cottage (1807) and Lavinia Cottage (early 1800s).

For more information on the Doors Open event, see the website here.

Lead photo of Scadding Cabin: Karen Longwell