Architectural Comments

The Albany Club first occupied premises at 75 Bay Street when it was founded in 1882 but by 1893 it had been relocated to 34 Colborne Street E. M. Chadwick recommended in a letter dated November 12th, 1887 that the central unit of the row of buildings at 87-95 King Street East and the unit to the west of it should be leased to accommodate the expanding membership of the Albany Club. In August of 1898, the club moved into these two units of the building, then known as the Victoria Row. One hundred years later, the same premises are occupied by the Albany Club, although they have been altered and expanded a number of times.

The row, built in 1840-42 on the south side of King Street just west of Church Street, was a fine three-storey building consisting of five units with shops on the ground floor. Architect, John G. Howard, a prominent figure in early Toronto, designed the row in the Vernacular Georgian Style typical in the city during that period. The façade of the central unit was given emphasis by an addition of a fourth storey featuring a gable roof.

In 1886, in keeping with architectural design trends then current, the entire King Street façade was renovated to the Empire Style. A mansard roof and dormers was added to form an attic story on each of the flanking units while the central units had an even more elaborate mansard roof tower with two large dormers forming an impressive profile long King Street East. The central window of the second floor of the unit at 91 King Street featured a large statue of Queen Victoria.

Soon after the membership had approved of E.M. Chadwick’s recommendation, the Club leased 91 and 93 King Street East and the plans, as drawn up in 1897 by Vaux Chadwick, his architect son, were implemented. The central shop front became the entrance to the Albany Club and minor alterations were made to the interior to accommodate the needs of members in both of the units at 91-93 King Street.

The Albany Club took title to ownership of the property at 91-93 King Street East in January 1913. The building remained in much the same condition and appearance as it had when it was first leased, until major alterations and a four storey addition to the rear of both units was added. Charles J. Gibson, a Club member since 1898, was the architect. Gratton Ltd. was the general contractor and Barnes and David Ltd. supplied structural steel. The plans provided for the present dining room, a basement below and two floors above it. There were seven bedrooms, each with a bathroom on the third floor, served by an elevator. The classical detailing of the limestone façade included the frontage at the 91 and 93 King Street units of the building with all window openings remain where they had been originally. The dining room addition and its interior is representative of Gibson’s careful attention to detail and understanding of the need for a grand room in the Club. It is as impressive today as it was in 1930.

In the last seventy years there has been very little change to the main architectural features of the façade and floor plan of the Albany Club. The interior has been adapted a number of times to meet contemporary needs of members. In the 1960’s building, and fire code requirements were incorporated when the facilities were renovated. The third floor bedrooms were altered to accommodate meeting rooms and lounges and a billiard room was located on the fourth floor. Later the upper floor became the Sandwich lounge. In the 1980’s general improvements were made, ventilation updated and finishes renewed.

Now in 2000 as they observed in the 1880’s, the Albany Club “is understood to be strongly and exclusively conservative in it’s tendencies.” The heritage has been sustained as the Club enters a second century of occupancy in the historic building at 91 King Street East. William N. Greer-Architect & Heritage Consultant