Sir Henry Pellatt was one of the most remarkable and controversial figures in Canadian history. A financier, soldier, and visionary, he is best remembered as the man who built Casa Loma, the grand fairytale castle that still crowns the hill above Toronto's Davenport Road.
Born in Kingston in 1859, Pellatt rose to become one of the wealthiest men in Canada. He championed the use of electrical power, helped bring Niagara Falls power to Toronto, and commanded the Queen's Own Rifles, taking the entire regiment to England in 1910. Yet for all his success, he died penniless, his fortune lost and his great castle sold to pay his debts.
Today Casa Loma stands as his enduring monument—a magnificent, eccentric structure that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It is a tribute to a man who, whatever his flaws, dared to dream on a grand scale.
The King of Casa Loma Book
The story of Sir Henry Pellatt and his castle is told in full in King of Casa Loma, the book that inspired this website. Drawing on archives, scrapbooks, and the records of the Queen's Own Rifles, it traces Pellatt's life from his birth in Kingston to the rise and fall of his fortune and the building of his beloved castle.
To learn more about the book and how to order a copy, visit the book purchasing page, or explore the timeline of Sir Henry Pellatt's life.