268 Dundas Street, Metropolitan Hotel Horseman's



 


Metropolitan Hotel
 


Dundas str. west of Richmond
 


 

Horseman House

This building, erected around 1888 in the Second Empire style, was first owned by Edward Horseman, proprietor of Horseman House. The building at 268, Dundas Street was also a hotel, the Metropolitan Hotel, and later housed both London Life Insurance Company, occupying the upper floors, and the Bank of Montreal, which was situated on the lower floor. While the western wing of this building is still standing, the eastern wing was demolished in order to erect the Bank of Montreal premises in the early modern style.

Established in 1874, London Life is the city's first home-grown life insurance company. Initially, London Life was located at the Ontario Loan and Debenture, an imposing 1880 three-storey structure situated at the western corner of Dundas Street and Market Lane. London Life, together with Ontario Loan and Debenture, was founded by Joseph Jeffery, the son of a cabinet-maker from Ipswich in England. Jeffery was aided in both enterprises by James Magee and Edward and George Harris. Jeffery was the first president of both Ontario Loan and Debenture and London Life, serving until his death in 1894. The earliest surviving London Life building is the one at 424, Wellington Street, across the road from 268, Dundas Street and better known as the Wright Building. 424, Wellington served as London Life's head office from 1906-1927.

From the 1950s onwards this building served as a restaurant, a tavern and today is a pub popular with locals for its live music. This fitting use of the building resonates with its initial use as an inn and boarding house.

Address

268 Dundas Street
London, Ontario
N6A 1H3


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