Of specific note is the Maryville estate, on which Smith established one of the town’s first major houses in 1796. The land, at King and Ontario to the east of the town, was purchased from John Kendrick. Smith was a master carpenter, and built the impressive structure according to his own tastes [Kendrick’s original house was subsumed and became the drawing room].
Click the image to view a full-size version.
Plan of 916 1/4 acres, in the Township of York in Upper Canada. The property of the Honble. D.W. Smith Esqre. Surveyr. Genl. - including Park Five, which contains about 100 acres, & 16 1/4 acres, at the east end of the city of York on which is the lodge lately called Maryville. [Sgd W. Chewett Senr Surveyr & Dftsmn
Image courtesy of Toronto Public Library: Ms1889.1.6
Winearls, MUC no. 2028
Maryville (also occasionally spelled 'Maryvale') Lodge was a large wooden Georgian-style house painted bright yellow (instead of the conventional white). Surrounding it were formal gardens and a circular driveway, and numerous support buildings.
Smith’s residency at Maryville did not last long: Smith departed Upper Canada for health reasons in 1802. One of the factors behind the existence of many records relating to Maryville was that Smith had them created as documentation for the attempted sale of the property, to CB Wyatt -- his successor in the Surveyor General post.
Chewett’s next map shows the layout of Maryville in some detail:
Plan of Maryville, at the east end of the City of York in Upper Canada, containing about 16 1/4 acres - the property of the Honble. D.W. Smith Esqre. Surveyor General. [Sgd] W Chewett Senr Surveyr & Dftsmn
Image courtesy of Toronto Public Library: Ms1889.1.7
Winearls, MUC no. 2027
Thomas Stoyell was the next occupant of Maryville Lodge, which later became a small private school. The house was demolished in 1854.
Following are two depictions of Maryville Lodge. The Poole painting gives an idea as to the yellow coloration of the structure.
Maryville Lodge circa 1805 by Charles W. Jefferys, “after drawing in Library's ms. collection, D. W. Smith Papers, vol.B15, p.90 (ca 1805). Reproduced (with clouds in a different hand added on a separate sheet mounted above drawing) in Evening Telegram series 'Landmarks of Toronto' 11 January 1889, and in Landmarks of Toronto v.1, p.287.”
Maryville Lodge painting by Frederic Poole, 1912 based on Jeffery’s drawing.
Images courtesy of Toronto Public Library: B 1-54b and JRR 521
Here’s a purported aerial sketch of the property:
See Also
1797 Smith Plan for the enlargement of York
More on Maryville Lodge:
See p21 onwards in Toronto: No Mean City by Eric Ross Arthur & Stephen A. Otto [there is a very detailed plan of the house itself and a front elevation by Chewett]
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