Type historic house museum Phone +1 416-395-7432 | Province Ontario Function Museum | |
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Location 5172 Yonge Street
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M2N 5P6 Website Gibson House on toronto.ca Address 5172 Yonge St, North York, ON M2N 5P7, Canada Hours Closed today MondayClosedTuesdayClosedWednesday1–5PMThursday1–8PMFriday1–5PMSaturday1–5PMSunday1–5PM Similar Mackenzie House, Montgomery's Inn, Spadina House, Colborne Lodge, Todmorden Mills Profiles | ||
Gibson House is a historical museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Yonge Street, in the North York Centre neighbourhood of the former city of North York.
Contents
Gibson house abandoned
History
The property was first acquired by David Gibson, a Scottish immigrant, land surveyor, prior to the Rebellion of 1837. For his activities in the Rebellion, his house was destroyed and he was banished from Upper Canada. 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 motif.
Gibson House is set back from Yonge Street, 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 Yonge Street by construction. The house is one of several museums operated by the City of Toronto.
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.