Allandale, historic house in Toronto, Canada

Allandale stands on Sherbourne Street and displays architectural features typical of mid-1800s residential buildings. The house forms part of an integrated housing development that combines Victorian structures with modern additions.

Enoch Turner, a prominent brewer, built Allandale in 1856 on Sherbourne Street just north of Dundas Street, then the fringe of town; it was named after William Allan, whose Moss Park estate had covered the land. In the 1960s the house and its neighbours were slated for demolition to make way for a public housing project, but public protests halted the plan in 1973. Architects Jack Diamond and Barton Myers then integrated Allandale into the Sherbourne Lanes housing project.

I.F. Hellmuth, one of Allandale's last occupants, founded the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club in 1874 and won the first Rogers Cup in 1881; he died in the house in 1944. The house's name recalls William Allan, owner of the Moss Park estate on which it was built.

Allandale stands on Sherbourne Street just north of Dundas Street, integrated into the Sherbourne Lanes housing complex designed by Jack Diamond and Barton Myers. The house is a private residence within that complex, so visitors see it from the street rather than entering. Look for the rural Ontario styling of the 1856 facade among the neighbouring Victorian houses and modern infill.

The building narrowly escaped demolition in the 1960s thanks to public protests from residents. This rescue sparked an innovative urban project that protected other historic structures in the neighborhood.