[adma]

I think the front of the property would look even better with that island removed and the driveway rerouted in a linear fashion, opening up the yard for a larger lawn (keeping the stone walls in tact). It's unfortunate that the house is hidden from many angles due to the evergreen and other trees.

Maybe that's intentional. FLW and his type were all for oblique views and glimpses rather than all-out full frontals.

 

[Armour]

Though, remember that the current front of the house was its backyard when originally built (or at least that is my interpretation; based on the ravine). The property report states that the house was built in 1969 (which we know is incorrect, as evidenced by the archival photos). I'm guessing it was in 1969 when the garage and driveway were added, and perhaps the present front facade was changed then as well (that is probably when the first permit was issued for 6 Geraldine Court; as the street didn't exist when the house was built; that might explain the confusion?); or do you think it is original? The current back of the house looks like it was renovated at some point (see photos on previous pages). Considering all of this; was Frank Lloyd Wright's influence very prevalent in the late 60s; when I imagine said landscaping island was put in?

I wonder who would have designed this house? Jack DelZotto may have built it (and it might have looked very different at first), but he was only a stonemason; not an architect. Does anyone have access to building permits or any other information that might show the year of construction and who the architect was? The tricky issue is figuring out what its original address would have been. Would it have been a rural road address or a Woodbine one? There's got to be an answer that is available somewhere. The DelZotto brothers could probably answer a lot of these questions.

 

[adma]

Considering all of this; was Frank Lloyd Wright's influence very prevalent in the late 60s; when I imagine said landscaping island was put in?

Yeah, it still was--in Canadian terms, morphing into later Ron Thom stylings and the like. (Or, think of all the Moriyama work nearby--albeit largely non-residential.)

 

[Anna]

...I wonder who would have designed this house? Jack DelZotto may have built it (and it might have looked very different at first), but he was only a stonemason; not an architect. Does anyone have access to building permits or any other information that might show the year of construction and who the architect was? The tricky issue is figuring out what its original address would have been. Would it have been a rural road address or a Woodbine one? There's got to be an answer that is available somewhere. The DelZotto brothers could probably answer a lot of these questions.

Del Zotto didn`t build the house - they developed Geraldine Court several years after the house was built.

Interesting, because I did some research too.

I took a look at some old Voters Lists and the Toronto Star.
In 1953 , what I thought was 'our' house was occupied by John Greenan, mechanical engineer, and his wife Margaret. Their address was RR1 Todmorden. By 1963 their address was 'Woodbine Ave' and they were included in the polling station for Three Valleys Drive. John F Greenan was the President of Don Valley Building Ltd. and Universal Plumbing & Heating Co.

"The first office building to be erected in Don Mills is to get underway immediately. The four-storey building located south of Lawrence Ave E and west of Donway West, will contain 30,000 square feet of rentable space. It is to be called Don Valley building and will be operated by Don Valley Building Ltd."

In 1965, at age 45, Mary Margaret Greenan was killed when she lost control of her sports car on the Don Valley Parkway south of Eglinton. At that time she was living on Brimley Road. John Greenan died in 1970.

I couldn't find the house in the 1965 and 1968 voters lists, although I thought I found the right polling station. But I did find it in 1972, with the address 6 Geraldine Court, and was occupied by Gordon Hall (self-employed) and Lillian Hall.

 

[Armour]

I thought the previous owners mentioned that it was built and occupied by Del Zotto?

"what I thought was 'our' house"...so does that mean the originally owners were the Greenans? It sounds like you're unsure if they occupied this house or another one.

 

[Anna]

'Our' house, as in the one we were discussing. Yes, I think the Greenans were the builders and owners of the house currently known as 6 Geraldine Court.

 

[Armour]

I was just confused because you said: "thought." Which implies uncertainty (i.e. you could have mistaken "our house" for a different house.

Are there no people on this forum that work at, or have connections, with the Toronto Archives?

 

[Armour]

A car was parked where I wanted to photograph from (on the house side of the street), so I couldn't quite get the angles I wanted, nevertheless, here you go.

 

[ares]

Great thread!

 

[Goldie]

Excellent contribution. Thank you Pym's Point.

Here' are 1949 & 1969 views of the same area looking S/E.

 

[donoreo]

Excellent contribution. Thank you Pym's Point.

Here' are 1949 & 1969 views of the same area looking S/E.
View attachment 219475

Note the ski hill in the 1969 photo!

 

[LPCI]

Way after the last post, but fascinating thread. I was a kid in Don Mills during this time period. My father learned to ski at that ski hill. The lessons were at night.