Spadina Museum: Historic House & Gardens

In 1866, the property was purchased by businessman and financier James Austin, founder of the Dominion Bank and president of Consumers Gas. At that time, the home was located in an area that was starting to become "Millionaires Row." The Austins and their children used their 80 acres for farming until James, and later his son Albert, subdivided and sold most of the land. The remaining 5.7 acres include an orchard, a grape arbour and a kitchen garden, along with the more formal areas of lawn and display beds.

The last living resident of the house, Anna Kathleen Thompson, a daughter of Albert Austin, negotiated the transfer of the house, furnishings and remaining acreage to the City of Toronto and the province of Ontario in 1978.