Toronto’s House of Industry, colloquially called the poor house, was founded by a group of reformers in 1837, to serve the poor and penniless, many of whom settled in what was then Toronto’s St. John’s Ward District. These workhouses were a last resort for society’s most vulnerable — the poor, the sick or orphans — those who could not support themselves. He refused payment for designing the House of Industry and donated the architectural blueprints for free in his support of the needy. The House of Industry wasn’t just a building it was a charity with trustees and superintendents, including longtime superintendents Arthur and Frances Laughlen. It didn’t just look after those who lived in the poor house.

Source: thestar August 27, 2017 11:03 UTC