What if this gatehouse could talk? It would tell a tale of publishing empires and a city’s fight to preserve its heritage. This is the John B. Maclean House Plaque. It marks a building with a story as captivating as the magazines John Bayne Maclean created.
John Bayne Maclean was born in 1862. He became a teacher and later a newspaper editor. But his entrepreneurial spirit led him to publishing. Maclean founded Canadian Grocer. He later bought The Business Magazine. In 1911, he renamed it Maclean’s. His magazine empire grew to include Chatelaine and The Financial Post. It became the largest of its kind in the British Commonwealth.
This house at 7 Austin Terrace was designed by John Lyle. Lyle also designed Union Station and the Royal Alexandra Theatre. The house was completed in 1910. It was intended as the gatehouse for a larger estate. But the main house was never built. Maclean moved here in 1911. He lived here until his death in 1950.
The Georgian Revival style building is unique. The main entrance is offset from the windows above. The windows vary in width. This makes the building deliberately asymmetrical. After Maclean’s death, the house was divided into apartments.
In 2008, a developer sought to demolish the house. They planned to replace it with townhouses. In 2009, heritage features were stripped from the facade. But the city intervened. It issued a stop-work order. This was only the second time in Ontario’s history that such an order was granted. The city designated the property under the Ontario Heritage Act. Demolition would now require City Council approval.
The interior and facade had been gutted. The community wondered about the house’s fate. Renaissance Fine Homes bought the property in 2011. They demolished a 1940s addition. They built new semi-detached units. The main house was divided into three units. E.R.A. Architects helped restore the facade.
In 2014, the community celebrated the restoration of the John B. Maclean House. Heritage Toronto unveiled this plaque. It marks the end of a turbulent period. It celebrates a victory for heritage preservation. The John B. Maclean House stands as a reminder of Toronto’s publishing history. It also shows the importance of preserving our architectural heritage. The asymmetrical design reminds us that beauty can be found in the unexpected.