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Casa Loma: Pellatt’s Castle and Its Path to City Ownership

Updated · 5 min read

Casa Loma is the Gothic Revival castle on the escarpment above Davenport Road in Toronto, built for the financier Sir Henry Pellatt to a design by the architect E. J. Lennox. Pellatt moved into the unfinished house in late 1913, according to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, and lost it to the City of Toronto in the 1930s over unpaid taxes. The Canadian Encyclopedia calls it the largest house ever built in Canada, with 98 rooms.

Sir Henry Pellatt

Henry Mill Pellatt was born in Kingston, Upper Canada, in 1859 and died in Mimico, now part of Toronto, on March 8, 1939. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography gives his birth date as January 6, while the Canadian Encyclopedia gives January 16. Both agree that he was knighted in 1905.

His fortune came from electric power. He joined the Toronto Electric Light Company after its founding in 1883 and was its president by 1895. In 1902 he became president of Toronto and Niagara Power, and the Electrical Development Company of Ontario was incorporated in 1903. Construction of its Niagara generating station began in May 1906, and power began to flow in November 1906. He was also a long-serving officer of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.

Building the castle, 1905 to 1913

The Canadian Encyclopedia reports that Pellatt bought 25 lots on the escarpment in 1905, and that the lots already carried the name Casa Loma. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says work began that year with a temporary cottage and a large stable, and that construction of the main building started in late 1909. The stables, connected to the house by a long tunnel, were described as being as fine as any on the continent.

The house evokes a medieval castle, with corbelled towers, tall chimneys, a buttressed carriage porch, oak-paneled rooms, and carved detail. E. J. Lennox was the architect. Estimates of the cost differ. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography says estimates run up to $3.5 million CAD, and the figure depends on what is counted, since stables, grounds, and furnishings were part of the work.

Timeline

  • 1905: Pellatt buys the escarpment lots and is knighted.
  • 1909: Construction of the main building begins, late in the year.
  • 1913: The Pellatts move into the unfinished house. In the same year the city abolishes fixed assessment, which raises Pellatt’s taxes sixfold, per the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
  • Late 1923: The Home Bank collapses, and the couple leave Casa Loma for an apartment.
  • April 15, 1924: Lady Pellatt dies. The Home Bank inquiry opens the next day.
  • 1933: The City takes over the property to recover taxes, according to the Dictionary of Canadian Biography.
  • 1937: The Kiwanis Club begins to run the house as a tourist attraction, according to City of Toronto documents.
  • 2011: City Council creates the Casa Loma Corporation to manage the site.
  • 2013: The City signs a 20-year lease with Liberty Entertainment Group to operate the main house and grounds.

How Pellatt lost the house

The First World War hurt his businesses, and provincial takeover of power distribution had already cost him his central role in electricity. His presidency of the Toronto Electric Light Company ended in 1919. After the Home Bank failed in late 1923 he set up holding companies to shield his assets. The Canadian Encyclopedia says he sold the house to the city for a fraction of its cost to cover back taxes and that his furniture was auctioned, a sale he said had broken his heart.

Sources disagree on timing. A City of Toronto executive summary dates the loss of the house to the aftermath of 1924, while the Dictionary of Canadian Biography says the City took over in 1933, and the house stood empty for years in between. The 1933 date comes from the biography, which is the more detailed source, but a primary archival record of the transfer was not checked.

From Kiwanis attraction to city-owned venue

The Kiwanis model lasted until 2011, when the City ended the agreement and created the Casa Loma Corporation as an interim manager. The City of Toronto’s Casa Loma page says that in 2013 the City signed a 20-year lease with Liberty Entertainment Group to run the main house and grounds as a heritage attraction and special events venue. The Casa Loma Corporation oversees the lease, and the City is its sole shareholder. Visiting hours and admission rules change, so the official Casa Loma site is the place to check them.

What the old stories get wrong

Several popular claims could not be traced to a primary source. Accounts that Casa Loma served as a convalescent home in the First World War or housed secret research in the Second World War appear on commercial and blog pages, but none was found in the Dictionary of Canadian Biography, the Canadian Encyclopedia, or City documents. They are left out here.

Frequently asked questions

Who built Casa Loma, and when?

Sir Henry Pellatt built it, with E. J. Lennox as architect. Work began on the grounds and stable in 1905, the main house started in late 1909, and Pellatt moved in during late 1913 while it was still unfinished.

Why did Pellatt lose Casa Loma?

His businesses suffered after the First World War, his taxes rose sharply after 1913, and the Home Bank failed in late 1923. The City took the property over to recover back taxes. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography dates that to 1933.

How many rooms does Casa Loma have?

The Canadian Encyclopedia gives 98 rooms and calls it the largest house ever built in Canada.

Who runs Casa Loma now?

The City of Toronto owns it. Liberty Entertainment Group operates the main house and grounds under a lease signed in 2013, overseen by the City-owned Casa Loma Corporation.

Last verified: October 2026

Sources

  • Dictionary of Canadian Biography, “Pellatt, Sir Henry Mill” (biographi.ca)
  • The Canadian Encyclopedia, “Sir Henry Mill Pellatt” and “Toronto Feature: Casa Loma”
  • City of Toronto, Casa Loma page (Casa Loma Corporation and lease)
  • City of Toronto reports on Casa Loma, 2007 to 2012
Cite this page

APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 23). Casa Loma: Pellatt’s Castle and Its Path to City Ownership. http://localhost:8210/blog/the-fascinating-history-of-casa-loma-in-toronto-canada-a-true-architectural-gem

MLA: “Casa Loma: Pellatt’s Castle and Its Path to City Ownership.” History of Toronto, 23 Oct. 2026, http://localhost:8210/blog/the-fascinating-history-of-casa-loma-in-toronto-canada-a-true-architectural-gem. Accessed .

Chicago: History of Toronto. “Casa Loma: Pellatt’s Castle and Its Path to City Ownership.” Last modified October 23, 2026. http://localhost:8210/blog/the-fascinating-history-of-casa-loma-in-toronto-canada-a-true-architectural-gem.

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