1179 King Street West 77 Mowat Avenue Toronto Carpet Factory (Link) The Toronto Carpet Factory: A Brief History The history of the Toronto Carpet Factory begins with the company whose name it retains, the Toronto Carpet Manufacturing Co. Ltd., established by F. Barry Hayes in 1891. In 1899, the burgeoning company moved out of its cramped space at Jarvis and The Esplanade into its impressive new factory at 1179 and 1179A King St. W., and 74 Fraser Ave. The Carpet Factory couldn't keep up with the demand of the Canadian market for its ingrain and chenille Axminster carpets and within five years, had added its own spinning and carding facilities, as well as additional looms to produce Brussels and Wilton carpets, in the addition located at 77 Mowat Ave. By the end of World War I, the factory employed over 1,000 people, about the same number of people who work there today. In its prime, the Toronto Carpet Factory established a reputation for quality, innovation and efficiency. During World War I, the company assisted in the war effort by supplying army blankets and khaki cloth for uniforms. The Toronto Carpet Factory comprises eight buildings on
a 4-acre, one-city-block site, with a total rentable area of approximately
310,000 square feet. The buildings, built between 1899 and 1920, are
similar in architecture to other industrial buildings built in Britain
and America during that time. They were constructed in the classic 19th
century style of perimeter buildings forming a cloister around a central
quadrangle and powerhouse. All of the buildings are of heavy timber
construction with load-bearing brick walls, wooden columns and beams,
and hardwood floors. All roof decks are wooden, with the exception of
the boiler room/generator room which is concrete slab. Visitors to the building are invited to enjoy our collection of "Factoriana" - artifacts such as archival photos, framed old blueprints/drawings, a 1902 map of the area and a framed original carpet on display in public areas. | ||||||
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