Newman Centre, Toronto

The structure was built in 1890-1891 by the Canadian businessman "The Barley King of Canada" Wilmot Deloui Matthews, designed by Toronto architect David Roberts. It is constructed of red clay, terra-cotta bricks, plum-coloured Credit Valley sandstone and pressed terra-cotta decorative elements. In 1899, to celebrate his daughter's wedding, Matthews hired architect George M. Miller and sculptor Gustav Hahn to design an Art Nouveau ballroom in the house. In 1900, a larger kitchen was added. Later expansions would see an upper floor and basement being converted to create more living space.[1]

Originally, there was a coach house adjacent to it. The coach house was later replaced by St. Thomas Aquinas Church.[2]

In 1919, Matthews died. In 1922, the house was sold to the Newman Foundation. The Newman Foundation was a body created to purchase a suitable site for the local Newman Club.[1] The Newman Club's purpose is to support Roman Catholic students in secular universities. The Newman Foundation was able to raise the necessary funds because of donations from two major benefactors, one of whom was Frank Patrick O'Connor. This allowed the foundation to purchase the property for the sum of $100,000.[2]

The Newman Centre is one of the city's preserved examples of Romanesque Revival architecture. In 1977, it became one of the first buildings in Toronto to receive heritage status from the Ontario Heritage Trust.[1] The cost of maintenance is met by the Archdiocese of Toronto. The site has been used for filming, including scenes from Spotlight, Suits, The Odd Squad and Storage Wars.[2]