Manufactory.

Details of Site Location: The southwest corner of Jarvis and Adelaide.

Boundary History: The building filled its lot at the corner and was bounded by Jarvis on the west, Adelaide on the north, Francis Street on the west, and a hotel on the south side.

Current Use of Property: Commercial building.

Historical Description: John Nasmith of Glasgow, Scotland, arrived in Toronto after losing his bakery in Greenoch, Scotland. In 1844, he rented space in the old Herald Building at the corner of Newgate (now Adelaide) and Nelson (now Jarvis). Over the years, his bakery remained at this location, while both streets were renamed and his building renumbered. He lived in the building with his wife and two boys. But bad luck dogged him, and his establishment was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1849. However, he rebuilt his bakery on the same site. South of the store was the District Grammar School (where one of the subjects offered was sword fighting, taught by Henry Goodman). Nasmith retired in 1870 and died in 1874. The bakery continued operations under John D. Nasmith, a son, who assumed control in 1870 and introduced a steam process to aerate bread, give it a more uniform texture, and make it lighter in weight. The company became incorpor­ated as The Nasmith Company Limited with John D. as its president. The head office was the old location, now listed as 64-66-68 Jarvis. By 1917, the company had moved and was no longer run by a Nasmith, being listed as Nasmith Limited, Bakers, Confectioners, and Restaurants. The new factory was at 42 Duchess Street between George and Stonecutter’s Lane, and the head office was here. Branches were at 74 King East, at the corner of King and Spadina, and at the west end of the grandstand at the Exhibition. John Turnbull was now president and general manager. The old location had a number of tenants before being demolished in the 1950s. The site is now part of St. James Park and is scheduled for condomium development.

Relative Importance: Despite repeated bad luck, John Nasmith and later his son were able to build a very successful business from a standing start. The history of the company illustrates what can be achieved by persistence and hard work.

Planning Implications: The site deserves marking and plaquing, which should be part of the cost of new development.

Reference Sources: City of Toronto Archives; J. Timperlake, Illustrated Toronto Past and Present (1877); History of Toronto and the County of York (1885).

Acknowledgements: Maps Project.