Long Branch
The first owner of the waterfront land that would one day be called “Long Branch” was Captain Samuel Smith, who had served in the Queen’s Rangers under Captain John Graves Simcoe during the American Revolution and again when Simcoe reformed this regiment in Upper Canada in 1791. Smith was a great favourite of Simcoe’s and was granted 3000 acres of land for his military service: 400 acres in York (Toronto) and 2600 acres in Etobicoke in a tract bound by Lake Ontario, Etobicoke Creek, today’s Bloor Street and today’s Kipling Avenue. To this day, the area is known in property records as “Colonel Smith’s Tract.” Simcoe’s records indicate he had plans to change the names of Etobicoke Township and Etobicoke River to Smith Township and Smith River, but Simcoe returned to England in 1796 before this change had been enacted.
After Simcoe left, he passed the command of the Queen’s Rangers to Smith who was now a Colonel. He became a civilian in 1798, and in 1799, at age 43, he married 20-year old Jane Isabella Clark. They had 11 children – two boys and nine girls. In 1815, Smith was appointed to Upper Canada’s Executive Council, and then served as temporary Administrator of Upper Canada in 1817-18 and 1820.
Smith’s home in Etobicoke was a four room log cabin that was already on the property, likely built by the four Carr brothers who were squatters. It was located in what today is the school yard behind St. Josaphat Catholic School on 41st Street. It was built of pine timber, dovetailed at the corners and secured with hickory pegs, and its floor was of pine boards two inches thick and fourteen inches across.
Smith soon added two rooms to each end of the cabin and covered the exterior with wood siding. Smith built a saw mill on Etobicoke Creek and bred horses, but does not appear to have had any skill at farming. He possessed a surfeit of social status and land, but his income as a half-pay officer was too low to develop his vast estate. Jane Smith died in September 1826, and Samuel Smith passed away a month later. At that time, their destitute children ranged in age from twenty-five to eight. The eldest child, a daughter named Ann, petitioned to the Lieutenant Governor for assistance and received a grant. The children left the property to live in a log house supplied by John William Gamble, brother of the first reeve of Etobicoke. The house was soon taken over by squatters once more, and most of the Smith-owned land in Etobicoke was unused until well into 19th century.
After Simcoe left, he passed the command of the Queen’s Rangers to Smith who was now a Colonel. He became a civilian in 1798, and in 1799, at age 43, he married 20-year old Jane Isabella Clark. They had 11 children – two boys and nine girls. In 1815, Smith was appointed to Upper Canada’s Executive Council, and then served as temporary Administrator of Upper Canada in 1817-18 and 1820.
Smith’s home in Etobicoke was a four room log cabin that was already on the property, likely built by the four Carr brothers who were squatters. It was located in what today is the school yard behind St. Josaphat Catholic School on 41st Street. It was built of pine timber, dovetailed at the corners and secured with hickory pegs, and its floor was of pine boards two inches thick and fourteen inches across.
Smith soon added two rooms to each end of the cabin and covered the exterior with wood siding. Smith built a saw mill on Etobicoke Creek and bred horses, but does not appear to have had any skill at farming. He possessed a surfeit of social status and land, but his income as a half-pay officer was too low to develop his vast estate. Jane Smith died in September 1826, and Samuel Smith passed away a month later. At that time, their destitute children ranged in age from twenty-five to eight. The eldest child, a daughter named Ann, petitioned to the Lieutenant Governor for assistance and received a grant. The children left the property to live in a log house supplied by John William Gamble, brother of the first reeve of Etobicoke. The house was soon taken over by squatters once more, and most of the Smith-owned land in Etobicoke was unused until well into 19th century.
Colonel Samuel Smith’s former home in the 1950s (Montgomery’s Inn)
In 1861, James and Margaret Eastwood purchased the old house and 500 acres of lakefront property from the Smith Estate. They cleared the timber and farmed the land. In 1883, they sold 64 acres on the eastern edge of their property to a consortium which developed it into an exclusive summer resort area. The land was subdivided into 250 villa lots where the well-off could build summer cottages. In 1886, Thomas J. Wilkie, who had held leadership positions with the YMCA in Toronto and Brooklyn, was hired to bring the plan to fruition, assisted by his brother John. The resort was named “Long Branch Park”, likely after New Jersey’s famous seaside resort. Soon the entire area was known as “Long Branch”.
Thomas Wilkie, Manager of Long Branch Park (Robert A. Haven)
The first villa lot was sold in 1886 to Richard and Amy Ough. Richard was an architect who designed many cottages in the park, including his own. Named “Idlewild”, it still stands today at 262 Lake Promenade, overlooking Lake Ontario and still looking very much like the original plan.
“Idlewild”, Amy and Richard Ough’s cottage in Long Branch Park, built 1886 (Denise Harris 2015)
By 1887, 20 villa lots had been sold and the Long Branch Hotel had been erected with Japanese-style balconies and pagoda-like towers, facing Lake Ontario at the foot of Long Branch Avenue.
Sketch of Long Branch Hotel by Cliff Simon, published in A Souvenir of Long Branch 1889. (Bingham & Webber)
Two brick pillars topped by lamps marked the park’s entrance just south of Lake Shore Road (now Lake Shore Boulevard West.) The hotel property was surrounded by a 12-foot high fences and the entrance gate was locked and guarded at all times. Alcoholic beverages were prohibited and vehicles were banned on Sundays. The park had an open pavilion for church services and events, a second pavilion where 300 could dine outdoors, a gymnasium, a water slide, a fountain courtyard, and facilities for swimming, boating, lawn bowling, tennis, croquet, baseball and lacrosse. A long wharf was built jutting into Lake Ontario to provide dockage for the hotel’s own steamer, The Rupert, which provided commuter service six days a week between Long Branch and Toronto. Excursion boat lines, like Greyhound and White Star, called in at Long Branch regularly as well. By 1895, the Toronto and Mimico Electric Railway had reached Etobicoke Creek from Queen and Roncesvalles, providing less expensive access to the park. Soon after this, people began arriving in their own automobiles.
Long Branch wharf in 1920s (Hogle Funeral Home)
James Eastwood died in 1884 and Martha in 1916. Five of their seven children - Annabella, James, John, Samuel and Sarah - never married and lived in the family home their entire lives. Daughter Elizabeth married George Christopherson in 1871 and by 1891 they had moved to Halton County. The youngest son, Robert, married Elizabeth MacGregor in 1912 at the age of 51. Around 1911, Robert built the unique house seen below for his new bride. It was located at what today would be the southwest corner of Lake Shore Blvd. W. and 37th Street.
Robert and Elizabeth Eastwood’s house, southwest corner of Lake Shore Blvd. W. and 37th Street. (Montgomery’s Inn)
From 1910 to 1920, seven different subdivisions were opened south of Lake Shore Road and east of Long Branch Park, as well as on land north of Lakeshore Road between 23rd and 30th Streets. In 1920, the Eastwoods sold the rest of their land between Long Branch Park and Etobicoke Creek for a development called Eastwood Park. The Eastwoods retained just the six acres around the original Smith house. All of these developments attracted a mixture of both high and lower end summer cottages and year-round homes.
Robert Eastwood died in 1927, and his house was sold to Paul Laurents who operated it as a tourist home until 1935, and then expanded it into a licenced hotel. Under the Laurents’ four-generation ownership, it was a respectable neighbourhood establishment. However, after it was sold to new owners in 1987, newspapers began to carry stories about strippers, drunken brawls, and frequent police arrests. By 2008, the building was in such poor physical condition that it could not be sold and, consequently, was demolished.
Robert Eastwood died in 1927, and his house was sold to Paul Laurents who operated it as a tourist home until 1935, and then expanded it into a licenced hotel. Under the Laurents’ four-generation ownership, it was a respectable neighbourhood establishment. However, after it was sold to new owners in 1987, newspapers began to carry stories about strippers, drunken brawls, and frequent police arrests. By 2008, the building was in such poor physical condition that it could not be sold and, consequently, was demolished.
Eastwood Hotel with “For Sale” sign, shortly before demolition in 2008 (Source unknown)
Long Branch succeeded as a resort community until the late 1930s. The photo below of the south side of Lake Shore Road between Long Branch Avenue and 35th Street captures the recreational spirit of this era. Local residents opened stands where visitors could eat, buy souvenirs, play games and dance in the open air.
South side of Lake Shore Road between Long Branch Av. and 35th St. in 1930s. (Montgomery’s Inn)
This era ended as larger cottages were winterized and became year-round homes. The kiosks along Lake Shore Road became the retail stores we’re familiar with today. The opening of the Queen Elizabeth Way in 1939 significantly reduced visitor traffic along Lake Shore Road.
Long Branch residents were accustomed to frequent spring floods, but no one was prepared for the devastation Hurricane Hazel brought the area on October 15, 1954. Seven lives were lost and 43 homes were destroyed. In the aftermath, 160 homes were expropriated on Island Road, 43rd Street and a gravel bar extending west from Lake Promenade. This land became a park named after former Long Branch reeve, Marie Curtis.
In 1955, the Samuel Smith house was the second oldest house in Toronto, built ca. 1797. Sadly, however, this did not prevent its demolition to build a supermarket parking lot. This home’s last resident was Robert Christopherson, who had been born in the house in 1880 and was a grandson of James and Martha Eastwood.
The once elegant Long Branch Hotel became a rooming house and burned to the ground on February 18, 1958.
Long Branch residents were accustomed to frequent spring floods, but no one was prepared for the devastation Hurricane Hazel brought the area on October 15, 1954. Seven lives were lost and 43 homes were destroyed. In the aftermath, 160 homes were expropriated on Island Road, 43rd Street and a gravel bar extending west from Lake Promenade. This land became a park named after former Long Branch reeve, Marie Curtis.
In 1955, the Samuel Smith house was the second oldest house in Toronto, built ca. 1797. Sadly, however, this did not prevent its demolition to build a supermarket parking lot. This home’s last resident was Robert Christopherson, who had been born in the house in 1880 and was a grandson of James and Martha Eastwood.
The once elegant Long Branch Hotel became a rooming house and burned to the ground on February 18, 1958.
Long Branch Hotel in 1950 (Montgomery’s Inn)
In 1930, following Mimico’s and New Toronto’s leads, Long Branch was successful in gaining approval to be an independent village, citing dissatisfaction with “Etobicoke’s Council and method of handling business.” To encourage the growth of local businesses, Long Branch council passed by-laws allowing multi-family dwellings, but many lovely cottages, along with their elegant trees, were demolished and replaced by out-of-scale apartment buildings. Long Branch remained independent until 1967 when the province reunited them once more, along with New Toronto and Mimico, into the Borough of Etobicoke.
The Long Branch Merchants Parade, July 1929, in Long Branch Park. Today the Long Branch Business Improvement Area performs a similar function by encouraging residents to frequent their local stores. (Source unknown)
Today, many residents are fighting a new batch of developers who wish to demolish old cottages and cut down trees to replace them with multi-story semi-detached homes, stacked townhomes, and even taller condominiums that are changing the character of the neighbourhood in ways many residents find unacceptable.
The Richard and Lucy Newborn house at 28 Daisy Avenue, Long Branch, in 2011 (Denise Harris)
With the loss of so many heritage buildings over the years, Long Branch is fortunate to still have the house at 28 Daisy Avenue. Built ca. 1847-52 by Richard and Lucy Newborn, it is the oldest building in Long Branch and the area’s last link to the township’s pre-Confederation agricultural roots. It is a one and a half storey Gothic Revival cottage with two-foot thick walls constructed of local fieldstone and covered with stucco. The front door and some windows are original. Log joists - some squared and beaded, and others still covered in their original bark - are visible in the basement. When Richard died in 1879, his eldest son Richard Jr. inherited the property and farmed there until his own death in 1900. In 1911, his estate sold the 100-acre property to the Lake Shore Land Co. Ltd. which developed it as the “Lakeshore Gardens” subdivision. Although it has had many owners over the years, the Newborn house has survived and is protected by a Heritage Designation by-law.
Written and Researched by Denise Harris.
Written and Researched by Denise Harris.