George T. Browning House Not To Be Continued, The Last Moments

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 03:53:50 +0000

I came back this morning to check on the George T. Browning house. The demolishing was moving slow on Monday and slow on Tuesday morning, but when I came back on Wednesday morning with Matthew the house was leveled to the ground and most of the brick was removed from the property.

So what do we have left of the house – history, memories and photos. It is official there is no George T. Browning house anymore (demolished on April 3rd, 2012, most likely later in the day).

Below are the last moment photos of the house taken on Tuesday morning.

George T. Browning House, Bricked Middle Window

George T. Browning House, Outside Decor

Thoughts … may be if the Browning family kept the Italianate/Tuscan villa style home in the family for longer period of time things would be different today, perhaps restored and occupied.

George T. Browning House, Decor Close Up

More of the past … if you want to see more of George T. Browning house look at the Google Map Street View for more. Probably still occupied when Google did the shooting back in May 2009.

George T. Browning House, Brick Decor

Sad but we must accept the change, nothing can be done anymore – the house is gone.

… And this is after.

George T. Browning House Demolished

George T. Browning Pile of Bricks

On the way from the site I got a special request from Matthew to visit the library. How can I refuse his request? It makes me happy to see him enjoying his visits. Greeting librarians and striking conversation about Superman or Iron Man, playing on the computer, checking out books and DVDs, buying his own treat is his regular routine.

As I sat beside Matthew when he was playing on the computer I remembered about photos I took few months ago from the library window of the George T. Browning house – Somethings That Always Change In Our Library, The Photography Exhibit. Well today not only I noticed that the art exhibit changed but also there was no more George T. Browning house in the window.

From The Library Window

Not To Be Continued.

George T. Browning Yellow Brick House, Any Time Soon Will Be Gone

Anna Lozyk Romeo — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 04:47:10 +0000

Once upon the time, more like in 1886, George Thomas Browning acquired on Yonge Street one acre property that included an attractive frame cottage at the head of the lane behind the present house. That attractive frame cottage is not there anymore.

George T. Browning House, North Side on the Back

George T. Browning House, North Side on the Front

According to historical notes and findings the George Browning house, the Italianate/Tuscan villa style, was probably in place by 1889 and it was once a yellow brick house.

Front Facade, Red but Yellow Brick Under

Powerful words were once written in the report of the Heritage Advisory Committee …

George Browning House, Back

‘The George Browning House at 15086-88 Yonge Street is a significant contributor to the character of Yonge Street. It is a distinguishing structure of substantial size that is given even greater visual importance by its commanding position well above the present level of Yonge Street and, on its north side, at the edge of the natural and man-made valley of the stream which crosses Yonge at this point.

It is also one of the punctuation points of one of the very few surviving stretches of dwellings on Yonge Street in Aurora.‘ – Heritage Advisory Committee Report No. PL09-078, Oct-05-2009, pg 2-3.

George T. Browning House, Two Entrances With Bay Window On Each Side

Not anymore. Standing there unoccupied for years, not looked after – deteriorated. The house became not fix-able, not repair-able, not invite-able and demolish-able to say it at last.

George T. Browning House, Not Invite-able

The house of George T. Browning housed many. It started with Browning family, the family of builders. In March 1913 the house was sold to the Joseph Noble family. The Nobles sold number 15086 later in the year of 1926 in land exchange to Oscar and Ida Klinck.

Were the new owners, the Klinck family occupying the Browning house – who knows? Presumably not. There were tenants though and some new owners in 1935.

But it was again in 1974 (yes that many years later) when the number 15086 got a new owner, this time Michael Evans who actually lived on the premises of the house for the longest time. The Evan’s family operates successful old-fashioned hardware store on 15236 Yonge Street.

On the side note it would interesting to know if the Evans Park on Bayview Street, North of Wellington Street is named after Mr. Evans.

And speaking of parks, nature or trees, whatever happened to the tree in front of the Browning house?

A Tree Trunk In Front of the George Browning House

Demolition of the house is currently in progress … to be continued.

Living in Aurora, Town of Aurora, Ontario » Heritage Advisory Committee

George T. Browning House Not To Be Continued, The Last Moments

George T. Browning Yellow Brick House, Any Time Soon Will Be Gone