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George
Brown House |
Located at 186 Beverley
Street, this house was built for George Brown between 1874 and 1876. Brown was born in
Scotland in 1818 and came to Toronto in 1843. The following year he started his newspaper
The Globe, which through Brown's influence was instrumental the Reform Party's 1848
victory in Upper Canada. In 1851 he entered the Legislative Assembly, and some years
later, as leader of the Liberal Party, he formed a coalition with conservative John A.
MacDonald and others to strengthen support for unification of the British North American
colonies, which led to Confederation in 1867. Brown and his family did not get to enjoy
their new home for long - a disgruntled Globe employee shot Brown, and he succumbed to his
injuries soon after, dying May 9, 1880. The Ontario Heritage Foundation acquired the
property in 1986 and restored the building to its former Second Empire-style glory. Today
it is used for conferences, weddings and film shoots, and houses tenant offices on the
upper floors.
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