Conception and Construction
Casa Loma was conceived in the early 1900s when Sir Henry Pellatt was flush with riches from the proceeds of gold mining in northern Ontario, transportation, real estate and railroad construction. The foundation was laid on Davenport Hill in 1910, and the castle took just over three years to build, involving about 300 men and costing more than three million dollars.
The architect E. J. Lennox drew on the architecture and decor of European castles. From its towers to its central vacuum system, indirect lighting and refrigeration, Casa Loma is an intriguing mix of various styles and elements.
The House on the Hill
Casa Loma is Spanish for "House on the Hill." The castle contains 98 rooms, three stories, two towers, a basement, an 800-foot tunnel and stables. Only two people, Sir Henry Pellatt and his first wife Mary (Dodgson), ever lived there. Their son Reginald was married before the castle was built and lived across the street in the Hunting Lodge.
Financial Fall and Abandonment
Sir Henry ran out of interest and money before the castle could be completed. His businesses were not doing well, and he was forced to give up many holdings because of his close ties to the Home Bank, which collapsed. In 1923 the Pellatts were forced to move out of the castle, settling a few blocks south into an apartment on Spadina Road.
His critics called the castle a folly and Sir Henry a fool. But few can look at the structure today without feeling a touch of admiration — and being thankful that it wasn't, in fact, torn down, as it had come close to being.
Saved by the Kiwanis Club
Casa Loma is owned by the City of Toronto and has been operated by the Kiwanis Club of West Toronto since 1937. The Club uses its share of the proceeds to aid young people, senior citizens and the mentally ill. If it was not for the Kiwanis' intervention, Casa Loma might have ceased to exist, turned into rubble and only remembered in photographs.
Casa Loma Today
With more than 350,000 visitors annually, Casa Loma continues to be one of Toronto, Ontario's premiere tourist attractions. It has also been a popular setting for films, television shows and commercials. Explore the floor plans and tour, the gardens, and the ghosts and mysteries of the castle.