Scadding Cabin

The oldest existing house in Toronto
Apr 20th, 2023

The oldest surviving building in Toronto. It's absolutely amazing to see a century old building intact in the urban City of Toronto
Apr 17th, 2023

Wait time No wait More
Apr 12th, 2023

A wonderful historical gem. The sing outside the cabin gives the following info: This log cabin, Toronto's oldest known surviving house, was constructed for John Scadding in 1794 during the first years of British settlement. Scadding was a government clerk and close friend of Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe. The cabin stood on the east side of the Don River on a 253-acre land grant that stretched north from Lake Ontario to present-day Danforth Avenue. Scadding lived there until he went back to England with the Simcoes in 1796. When Scadding returned to York in 1818, he sold the cabin and its property to farmer William Smith, who used the cabin as an outbuilding. In 1879, the Smith family offered the cabin to the 10-year-old York Pioneers Association; Scadding's son Henry, a prominent Toronto historian, was a founding member. In the summer of 1879, in an early act of Toronto heritage preservation, the York Pioneers dismantled the cabin and reassembled it at this location for the inaugural Toronto Industrial Exhibition, now the Canadian National Exhibition. Apparently it is open for people to look inside the cabin when the CNE is open. Would love to come back at that time to explore the inside of the cabin.
Nov 16th, 2022

This is the history of my city. YORK. Torontos oldest existing home was built in 1794 for John Scadding who accompanied Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe to Upper Canada in 1792. Scadding Cabin was moved to the grounds from the east bank of the Don River in 1879 by the York Pioneer and Historical Society, which is still responsible for its operation. The move was part of the celebrations marking the inauguration of the Toronto Industrial Exhibition (forerunner of the CNE). In 1986, the cabin was designated as historically significant under the Ontario Heritage Act. Scadding Cabin is open to the public during special events (in the summer months).
Aug 8th, 2022