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Scadding Cabin (or Simcoe Cabin) is a 1794
In 1879 John Smith, the owner of the Scadding property, gave Scadding Cabin to the York Pioneers. 1879 was also the beginning of the Toronto Industrial Exhibition (later the
York Pioneers Historical Society Website
John Scadding Cabin on TOBuilt
{{Exhibition Place City of Toronto Heritage Properties Former post office buildings Museums in Toronto National Historic Sites in Ontario Philatelic museums Philately of Canada Postal history of Canada Post office buildings in Canada History of Toronto Houses in Toronto Log houses in Canada
log cabin
A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers.
Eu ...
on the grounds of Exhibition Place
Exhibition Place is a publicly owned mixed-use district in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located by the shoreline of Lake Ontario, just west of downtown. The site includes exhibit, trade, and banquet centres, theatre and music buildings, monuments, ...
in Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...
, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada. It was constructed for John Scadding
John Scadding (1754 – March 1, 1824) was an early settler in York, Upper Canada (now Toronto, Ontario, Canada). He is remembered for constructing the Scadding Cabin, which is now the oldest surviving building in Toronto. He served as a c ...
https://www.yorkpioneers.com/plaques/ and is now the oldest surviving building in Toronto.
History
The cabin was originally built on the property of John Scadding, an immigrant fromDevon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
shire, in order to fulfill his settlement duties to the Crown. The cabin stood at the east side of the Don River south of Queen Street East on a 253-acre land grant that stretched north from Lake Ontario to present day Danforth Avenue. Scadding lived in the cabin until he returned to England in 1796.
When Scadding returned to York in 1818, he sold his property, and cabin, to a farmer named William Smith, who used the cabin as an outbuilding. The cabin remained in the Smith family until 1879 when the cabin was offered to the York Pioneers
The York Pioneer and Historical Society (YPHS) is Ontario's oldest historical society, and the second-oldest historical society in Canada. It is located in Toronto and operates Scadding Cabin during the Canadian National Exhibition, publishes the ...
. Henry Scadding, son of John Scadding, was a founding member of the historical society.
In 1879 John Smith, the owner of the Scadding property, gave Scadding Cabin to the York Pioneers. 1879 was also the beginning of the Toronto Industrial Exhibition (later the Canadian National Exhibition
The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE), also known as The Exhibition or The Ex, is an annual event that takes place at Exhibition Place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, on the third Friday of August leading up to and including Canadian Labour Day ...
(CNE) ) and the York Pioneers worked with the Exhibition's founders to move the cabin to its current site to celebrate the fair's inauguration. The cabin was dismantled, moved and reconstructed by the York Pioneers on the grounds of the first Industrial Exhibition (now Exhibition Place) on August 22, 1879 near the site of Fort Rouillé
Fort Rouillé was a French trading post located in what is now Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Fort Rouillé was constructed by the French in 1751, building upon the success of a trading post they established in the area a year earlier, known as Fort To ...
.
Current use
The York Pioneers currently operate Scadding Cabin as a museum. Scadding Cabin is furnished as a pioneer home from the 1830s to early 1840s, although there are artifacts that date back to the 1790s. The oldest item is a baby's cradle, made by Scadding. Furnishings include two spinning wheels and a wool winder, equipment for making bread and butter, a candle mold and utensils for cooking on an open hearth. Scadding Cabin is open during the CNE, held each year from mid-August to the end of Canada’s Labour Day weekend. The cabin is also open through special arrangements and for community events during the summer months such as Toronto’s Doors Open. In the past the cabin has been open during the Luminato Festival and annual CHIN picnic when these events are held at Exhibition Place.See also
*List of oldest buildings and structures in Toronto
This is a list of the oldest buildings and structures in Toronto, that were constructed before 1920. The history of Toronto dates back to Indigenous settlements in the region approximately 12,000 years ago. However, the oldest standing structures ...
* Fort Rouillé
Fort Rouillé was a French trading post located in what is now Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Fort Rouillé was constructed by the French in 1751, building upon the success of a trading post they established in the area a year earlier, known as Fort To ...
References
External links
York Pioneers Historical Society Website
John Scadding Cabin on TOBuilt
{{Exhibition Place City of Toronto Heritage Properties Former post office buildings Museums in Toronto National Historic Sites in Ontario Philatelic museums Philately of Canada Postal history of Canada Post office buildings in Canada History of Toronto Houses in Toronto Log houses in Canada