The Matthews House – Hoskins and St. George Streets, Toronto, Ontario

The Newman Centre residence, located at the corner of Hoskins and St. George Streets, on the University of Toronto campus, was built in 1890/1891. The original two and one-half storey home is constructed of red clay, terra cotta bricks, plum coloured Credit Valley sandstone and pressed terra cotta decorative elements.

In the late 1800’s, St. George Street was considered one of the wealthiest boulevards in the city and was home to many of the city’s influential political and business leaders. The residence at 89 St. George Street was built by businessman Wilmot D. Matthews and remained his personal home until his death in 1919. The residence is still referred to in historical circles as "the Matthews House".

Wilmot D. Matthews was born in Burford, Ontario in 1850. Mr. Matthews’ family fortune resulted from the grain trading business. Their business was so large that, in fact, his father was once known as the Barley King of Canada. Wilmot joined his father’s business in 1866 and, following his father’s death, in 1890, he and a partner formed the Canada Malting Company, which continues operations today. Wilmot was a very successful businessman, serving as Director in a number of major corporations including Canadian Pacific Railway, Dominion Bank, and Toronto Street Railway.

The house remains one of Toronto’s best examples of Romansque Revival architecture. It was one of the first buildings in Toronto to receive heritage status from the Ontario Heritage Foundation in 1977 and continues to be one of the few buildings to have been granted heritage status for the interior, as well as the exterior, of the building. Most of the first floor, including the stairway, and a portion of the second floor were given heritage status in recognition of the outstanding craftsmanship in the use of woodwork, plaster, stained glass and decorative metals. The interior is one of the finest examples of late nineteenth century design in the City of Toronto.