Gothic Revival in Cabbagetown

Although created in the early 18^th century, the Gothic Rival style had been primarily used during the 19^th century.  By this time, Victorians had grown bored of their Gregorian homes and yearned for more colour and decoration.  Initially, this style was favoured by successful industrialists in England, but by the late 19^th century, entire suburbs began to resemble the Gothic Revival:

• Pointed arches
• Ribbed vaults
• Flying buttresses
• Spacious arcades, galleries, and clerestory stained glass windows
• Quatrefoil and clover-shaped oriel windows
• Pinnacles
• Grouped chimneys

The Gothic Revival reached popularity in North America shortly after Andrew Jackson Davis’ 1837 release, Rural Residences, had been published.  This book featured many Gothic floor plans and encouraged countrymen to adopt the style.  In Canada, it was the Anglican and Roman Catholic Church that initially embraced the Gothic Rival.  For residential purposes, people began to realize that using wooden gingerbread instead of stone would be less costly, thus giving rise to the Carpenter Gothic form.   In this style, balloon framing allowed for thinner, lighter walls, which helped build asymmetrically complex designs both interiorly and exteriorly.  The most common features of the Carpenter Gothic form include:

• Steeply pitched gable roofs
• Wall dormers
• Polygonal chimney pots
• Hood molds
• Lacy bargeboards

Today, there are many homes in Toronto that have preserved the Gothic form.  In Cabbagetown, there are two lovely examples: “the Witch’s House” (384 Sumach Street) and 255 Carlton Street.  If you take a stroll down Rose Avenue there are plenty of more examples to be found as well.