John and Jemima Howard gave us a green-space we know as “High Park”

On my walk in High Park, on the west side of Toronto, I visited the historic iron gated grave and monument built from granite boulders of the generous couple who, in 1873, gave their cherished estate to the citizens of Toronto — the land we know today as High Park: John and Jemima Howard.

John Howard was born in England, where he trained under a London architect before emigrating to Toronto in 1832. Four years later, he bought 165 acres of land for $1,000, a stretch running from Lake Ontario up to Bloor Street, which he named “High Park” for its position at the highest point along the shoreline. There he built his home, Colborne Lodge, named in honour of Sir John Colborne, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada who had helped launch Howard’s career in the colony and who also founded Upper Canada College.

Bottom right: a wood carving by John Howard of his property, reflecting an early plan to subdivide High Park into lots for private development. Fortunately for us today, there was no interest.

Sir John Colborne was so impressed by John’s portfolio of architectural renderings that he appointed him to teach at UCC, a position he held for 23 years.

The original location of Upper Canada College was on King Street. 

Alongside teaching, his tireless contributions to the city expanded to becoming city surveyor, laying out streets, sidewalks, bridges, and the waterfront Esplanade. He continued his private architecture practice designing churches, homes, and public buildings while maintaining his High Park estate and honing his skills as an accomplished artist.

I recently visited St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church designed by John Howard and completed in 1843. 

In 1873, Howard and Jemima gifted the bulk of the estate to the City of Toronto for use as a public park — an arrangement that also secured him a city pension, and let the couple continue living at Colborne Lodge,

Photos taken on a tour we were given of Colborne Lodge. The home has the earliest surviving indoor flush toilet in Toronto. 

retaining 45 acres, for the rest of their lives. The remainder passed to the city upon Howard’s death in 1890. John Ross Robertson, later called it “the most generous gift ever made by a private individual to the public of Upper Canada.”

Howard sourced the surrounding iron fence around his cemetery plot often referred to as “The Architect’s Tomb” from St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. A piece of 1700s wrought-iron railing that had encircled the cathedral for roughly 160 years before being removed, reportedly during a road-widening project.

John and Jemima Howard are buried together on the grounds of High Park, near the home they built and the parkland they created. The couple was childless, leaving no heirs to inherit their estate.

Jemima Frances Howard died on September 1, 1877 at Colborne Lodge. She was 75.
John Howard died on February 3, 1890 at Colborne Lodge. He was 86.

See my related grave visit to John Ross Robertson. 

John Ross Robertson, journalist, publisher, philanthropist and sportsman