Historic Toronto photos from Avenue Road

Yes, it is an avenue, and a road. Live here long enough and you won't think twice about the name, but newcomers find it noteworthy. It is a major north-south street running 9km (5.6miles) though the centre of Toronto, from Bloor Street West up to the 401.

Toronto journalist Robert Fulford once wrote that the name "sounded like an identity crisis with pavement."

It is an extension of University Avenue by way of Queens Park.

The complete list of streets is available here. And don't forget the photos by date and photos by neighbourhood pages.

4 Avenue Road, Toronto in Royal Ontario Museum

Future site of the Queens Park Plaza Hotel - north-west corner of Bloor and avenue road with ad for Packard Six Sedan

Photo from 101 years ago in 1925 at Latitude: 43.668976° N, Longitude: -79.394593° W

Avenue Road and Bloor Street, Plaza Hotel under construction in the rain

Photo from 98 years ago on September 20th, 1928 at Latitude: 43.668976° N, Longitude: -79.394593° W

53 Avenue Road, Toronto in Yorkville

Piccadilly Club - interior with piano, stage, and dancefloor - 53 Avenue Road

Photo from 66 years ago in 1960 at Latitude: 43.671029° N, Longitude: -79.394913° W

Piccadilly Club exterior with white picket fence - 53 Avenue Road in Yorkville

Photo from 63 years ago in 1963 at Latitude: 43.671029° N, Longitude: -79.394913° W

66 Avenue Road, Toronto in Yorkville

Yorkville in the 1960s - looking north on Avenue Road to Elgin Ave

Photo from 60 years ago on November 5th, 1966 at Latitude: 43.671581° N, Longitude: -79.395269° W

121 Avenue Road, Toronto in Yorkville

St. Paul's Avenue Road church - playing guitar looking south to Yorkville

Photo from 60 years ago on November 5th, 1966 at Latitude: 43.673115° N, Longitude: -79.395909° W

133 Avenue Road, Toronto in Yorkville

Silent Cinema - 46-seat theatre devoted exclusively to silent movies - 1926 Don Juan was played on opening night

Photo from 57 years ago on September 15th, 1969 at Latitude: 43.674019° N, Longitude: -79.395897° W Categorized under: Midtown theatres

148 Avenue Road, Toronto in Summerhill

Toll house at the corner of Davenport and Avenue Road - looking n.e. to Leonard Pears house

Photo from 150 years ago in 1876 at Latitude: 43.675213° N, Longitude: -79.396348° W Categorized under: Ornamental gate

240 Avenue Road, Toronto in Summerhill

Sketch of the Church of the Covenant before west section added - Avenue Road and Roxborough

Photo from 127 years ago in 1899 at Latitude: 43.677013° N, Longitude: -79.397078° W Categorized under: Architectural drawings --- Avenue road church (at roxborough)

243 Avenue Road, Toronto in Summerhill

Avenue Road Presbyterian Church - Gothic Revival - built in 1899

Photo from 114 years ago in 1912 at Latitude: 43.676911° N, Longitude: -79.397213° W Categorized under: Avenue road church (at roxborough)

Before Avenue Road widening outside the The Avenue Rd. Church

Photo from 67 years ago on April 16th, 1959 at Latitude: 43.677029° N, Longitude: -79.397314° W Categorized under: Avenue road church (at roxborough)

Looking south down Avenue Road to The Avenue Road Church on the left

Photo from 66 years ago on June 22nd, 1960 at Latitude: 43.678006° N, Longitude: -79.398022° W Categorized under: Avenue road church (at roxborough)

Hare Krishna leaded glass window 1

Photo from 12 years ago on May 24th, 2014 at Latitude: 43.676959° N, Longitude: -79.397056° W Categorized under: Avenue road church (at roxborough)

Hare Krishna Peacocks

Photo from 12 years ago on May 24th, 2014 at Latitude: 43.677029° N, Longitude: -79.397260° W Categorized under: Avenue road church (at roxborough)

Hare Krishna Column

Photo from 12 years ago on May 24th, 2014 at Latitude: 43.676959° N, Longitude: -79.397281° W Categorized under: Avenue road church (at roxborough)

255 Avenue Road, Toronto in Summerhill

Avenue Rd. Presbyterian (United) Church before building torn down for Jay Macpherson Green

Photo from 70 years ago on August 26th, 1956 at Latitude: 43.676998° N, Longitude: -79.397314° W Categorized under: Avenue road church (at roxborough)

264 Avenue Road, Toronto in Summerhill

Avenue Road, looking south to Dupont Street w/ Avenue Rd. Presbyterian church on the left

Photo from 116 years ago in 1910 at Latitude: 43.678053° N, Longitude: -79.398000° W Categorized under: Avenue road church (at roxborough)

310 Avenue Road, Toronto in Deer Park

Looking south down Avenue Road from Cottingham St. The Parliament Buildings in the distance and the tower of Avenue Road Methodist Church.

Photo from 131 years ago in 1895 at Latitude: 43.680194° N, Longitude: -79.398848° W

398 Avenue Road, Toronto in South Hill

Avenue Road Hill, looking south to Queens Park

Photo from 116 years ago in 1910 at Latitude: 43.681607° N, Longitude: -79.399352° W

Iron gates at Benvenuto on Avenue Road - the home of Sir William MacKenzie

Photo from 115 years ago in 1911 at Latitude: 43.681932° N, Longitude: -79.400039° W Categorized under: Benvenuto --- Ornamental gate

Avenue Road hill looking south from Benvenuto - no cars on Sunday due to gas rationing during WWI

Photo from 112 years ago in 1914 at Latitude: 43.681808° N, Longitude: -79.399481° W

468 Avenue Road, Toronto in South Hill

Looking south at the Avenue Road bottleneck from St. Clair Avenue West

Photo from 89 years ago on September 11th, 1937 at Latitude: 43.686091° N, Longitude: -79.401648° W

480 Avenue Road, Toronto in South Hill

Peter Pan sculpture in Glenn Gould park by Sir George Frampton unveiled at St. Clair and Avenue Rd. - original in Kensington Gardens, London

Photo from 97 years ago on September 16th, 1929 at Latitude: 43.686796° N, Longitude: -79.401976° W

525 Avenue Road, Toronto in Deer Park

Second Mashquoteh? (1890s to 1956) St. Clair Avenue widening - trees, east of Avenue Road

Photo from 115 years ago on November 22nd, 1911 at Latitude: 43.687767° N, Longitude: -79.401348° W Categorized under: Mashquoteh

554 Avenue Road, Toronto in Deer Park

Mashquoteh - William Augustus Baldwin house - demolished 1888

Photo from 151 years ago in 1875 at Latitude: 43.688465° N, Longitude: -79.401841° W Categorized under: Mashquoteh

Mashquoteh - William Augustus Baldwin house near Avenue Rd., just s. of Heath St.

Photo from 148 years ago in 1878 at Latitude: 43.688356° N, Longitude: -79.401906° W Categorized under: Mashquoteh

1107 Avenue Road, Toronto in North Toronto

The Stables, Eglinton Hunt Club, Avenue Road

Photo from 105 years ago in 1921 at Latitude: 43.708493° N, Longitude: -79.409276° W

Horses and hills of the Toronto Hunt Club - Panoramic Camera Company

Photo from 101 years ago in 1925 at Latitude: 43.708200° N, Longitude: -79.407801° W

Eglinton Hunt Club on Avenue road - members and barn

Photo from 101 years ago in 1925 at Latitude: 43.707509° N, Longitude: -79.408231° W

Garden party at Toronto Hunt Club

Photo from 101 years ago in 1925 at Latitude: 43.707509° N, Longitude: -79.408231° W

Eglinton Hunt Club buildings - 1107 Avenue Road

Photo from 36 years ago in 1990 at Latitude: 43.708354° N, Longitude: -79.409634° W

1307 Avenue Road, Toronto in Lawrence Park

Lytton House - east side of Avenue Road between park and Glencairn Ave. - used as residence for Havergal College

Photo from 65 years ago in 1961 at Latitude: 43.715566° N, Longitude: -79.412011° W Categorized under: Havergal college

1340 Avenue Road, Toronto in Lawrence Park

Avenue Road, looking north from Glencairn Avenue (towards Havergal College)

Photo from 87 years ago on July 7th, 1939 at Latitude: 43.716006° N, Longitude: -79.412322° W

1451 Avenue Road, Toronto in Lawrence Park

Architects aerial sketch by the firm Chapman and Oxley of Havergal's planned 'New School' in Lawrence Park West

Photo from 103 years ago in 1923 at Latitude: 43.721276° N, Longitude: -79.412624° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Programme from Cornerstone laying of new Havergal building on Avenue Road

Photo from 100 years ago on April 23rd, 1926 at Latitude: 43.720007° N, Longitude: -79.414440° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Mid the mud - construction of Havergal building on Avenue Road - muddy clay didn't lead easily to lush lawns

Photo from 100 years ago in 1926 at Latitude: 43.720007° N, Longitude: -79.414440° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Path to Havergal's 'New School' - maybe heading south from Lawrence Ave?

Photo from 99 years ago in 1927 at Latitude: 43.721494° N, Longitude: -79.414405° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Boarder leaving Havergal for home - Parents had to approve list of people their daughters could write to or visit, and phone calls may have been monitored as well.

Photo from 98 years ago in 1928 at Latitude: 43.720089° N, Longitude: -79.414499° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Havergal College - Lawrence Park - panoramic photo of the staff and boarders

Photo from 97 years ago in 1929 at Latitude: 43.720327° N, Longitude: -79.414136° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Havergal College sign on gate - Avenue Road circa 1930

Photo from 96 years ago in 1930 at Latitude: 43.720007° N, Longitude: -79.414440° W Categorized under: Ornamental gate --- Havergal college

All roads lead to Havergal - bus routes to the school from Avenue and Bloor, or on the TTC, etc. south wing not yet added

Photo from 93 years ago on June 1st, 1933 at Latitude: 43.718792° N, Longitude: -79.414669° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Lawrence Park Collegiate (1936) in background while new wing being added to Havergal thanks to funding from the Leonard Foundation

Photo from 89 years ago in 1937 at Latitude: 43.720007° N, Longitude: -79.414440° W Categorized under: Havergal college --- Schools

Approaching Havergal College northbound near Avenue Road - Lawrence Park Collegiate in background

Photo from 89 years ago in 1937 at Latitude: 43.718792° N, Longitude: -79.414669° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Interior of Havergal - front entrance rotunda leading into the Assembly Hall

Photo from 87 years ago in 1939 at Latitude: 43.720089° N, Longitude: -79.414499° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Students at work in the Havergal Chemistry Lab

Photo from 87 years ago in 1939 at Latitude: 43.719642° N, Longitude: -79.412565° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Interior of Havergal - student dining hall

Photo from 87 years ago in 1939 at Latitude: 43.719642° N, Longitude: -79.412565° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Front entrance from Avenue road to Havegal Girls School

Photo from 87 years ago in 1939 at Latitude: 43.719642° N, Longitude: -79.412565° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Aerial view of Havergal College and area - path in the top right eventually where Rosewell Avenue is now

Photo from 85 years ago in 1941 at Latitude: 43.720089° N, Longitude: -79.414499° W Categorized under: Havergal college

Lawrence Park Collegiate as seen in the distance from the Havergal College tennis courts

Photo from 82 years ago in 1944 at Latitude: 43.719642° N, Longitude: -79.412565° W Categorized under: Schools --- Havergal college

John Ross Robertson elementory school as seen in the distance from the roof of Havergal College and their playing fields

Photo from 65 years ago in 1961 at Latitude: 43.719642° N, Longitude: -79.412565° W Categorized under: Schools --- Havergal college

Havergal College main entrance and Brenda Robson Hall running north south along Avenue Road

Photo from 45 years ago in 1981 at Latitude: 43.720230° N, Longitude: -79.414448° W Categorized under: Havergal college

1661 Avenue Road, Toronto in Bedford Park

Glendale Theatre at night with 2001 A Space Odyssey posters 1661 Avenue Road

Photo from 60 years ago in 1966 at Latitude: 43.726142° N, Longitude: -79.416926° W Categorized under: Midtown theatres

2200 Avenue Road, Toronto in Armour Heights

Armour Heights Aerodrome and Hangars with JN-4 Canucks outside - Ingenium Archives, CAVM Photograph Collection, CAVM-18463

Photo from 109 years ago in 1917 at Latitude: 43.740781° N, Longitude: -79.422635° W

Curtiss JN-4 Canuck crashed into corner of building at Armour Heights - Ingenium Archives, CAVM Photograph Collection, CAVM-21344

Photo from 109 years ago in 1917 at Latitude: 43.740905° N, Longitude: -79.422689° W

Armour Heights Aerodrome - aerial view of the camp and buildings - RFC-RAF Aerodrome - Ingenium Archives, CAVM Photograph Collection, CAVM-05108

Photo from 108 years ago in 1918 at Latitude: 43.740765° N, Longitude: -79.422421° W

RFC Armour Heights - aerial view of the base - Ingenium Archives, CAVM Photograph Collection, CAVM-21330

Photo from 107 years ago in 1919 at Latitude: 43.740928° N, Longitude: -79.422560° W