A sketch map produced in 1813 by Surveyor George Williams depicts a sizable structure on Susanna Maria Willcocks’ property.
A similar 1814 map also by Williams depicts the same or similar structures.
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In the 20 June 1958 edition of the Globe and Mail, Masco Electric Company advertised that they were distributing Fedders Air Conditioning units. Air conditioners were a cutting edge home improvement in the 1950s that most Torontonians would not have had access to.
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The Capewell Horse Nail Company appears in Toronto City Directories between 1906 and 1938. Capewell was one of the largest horse nail manufacturers, producing roughly a third of horsenails globally. The company was founded in 1881, and was based out of Hartford, Connecticut. Its Duke Street location was the company’s first Canadian branch.
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A painting of the Duke Street house dated to 1912 in the Toronto Public Library’s collection is allegedly based upon a sketch that appeared in J. R. Robertson’s 1888 Landmarks of Toronto.
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The 1866 Mitchell and Company Directory lists a Thomas L. Steiner living in the house. The 1866 directory page shows a mix of both vacant houses and prominent names on Duke Street. The 1853 tax records that list Gordon as living in the house also list the property as belonging to the O’Neill family, who live next door. The O’Neills may have still owned the house at this point. The 1867-9 City of Toronto Directory lists the Stayner family at the house, with no Steiner in the city of Toronto.
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