Description:

934-936 King Street West is a 2-to-2.5 storey building located at the northeast corner of King Street West and LN E Strachan N King (formerly known as White's Lane and Wellington Place) in the King West neighbourhood of Toronto. 934-936 King Street West was constructed in 1875/1876 and is in a Georgian Revival style of architecture.  

934-936 King Street West is constructed on part of the former Garrison Reserve (Military Reserve). The Garrison Reserve was approximately 1000 acres of land bordering Fort York which was reserved for use by the military and for defense of Toronto during the late 18th and early 19th century. During the late 1840s, a section of the Garrison Reserve was partitioned for use by the Provincial Lunatic Asylum (which formally opened in 1850). In subsequent decades, this was followed with additional partitioning of the reserve for other public and private development — including commercial, industrial, and residential projects. 

Constructed in 1875/1876, 934-936 King Street West was one of the very first buildings built on King Street West to the west of Garrison Creek (now Stanley Park) and is representative of the early development of this section of King Street West. Between the late 1850s and early 1870s, this section of King Street West was almost entirely undeveloped with the exception of Toronto's first Crystal Palace (1858-1879) near present-day King Street West and Sudbury Street; the Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women (opened 1872); and the Toronto Central Prison (opened 1873). As of 2022, 934-936 King Street West is likely the oldest surviving building on King Street West to the west of Stanley Park (formerly Garrison Creek).  

934-936 King Street West has historically been associated with a mix of residential and light commercial uses. 

The ground floor storefronts of 934-936 King Street West have been consolidated together and modernized. The original windows on the second floor appear to have been replaced around 2010. Several rear additions have been added to the building on its north elevation. Further research is required to discern if the brick exterior is original to the building and/or at what point in time it was added. The exterior brickwork on the King Street West (south) elevation has been painted purple.

Prior to 1890, 934-936 King Street West was known as 676-678 King Street West. The unnamed municipal laneway running north-south along the west edge of the property was formerly known as White's Lane and Wellington Place.

The neighbouring Second Empire building at 930-932 King Street West was constructed in 1882/1883. 

In the late 2010s, a 14-storey mixed use building was proposed for the site to the immediate west of 934-936 King Street West. This site is presently home to the Palace Arms. The redevelopment proposal is ongoing as of early 2022.

Early Occupants and Uses: 

As of 1876/1877, the first known occupants of 934-936 King Street West were:

934 King Street West: Louis Molteni and Margaret Molteni.

936 King Street West: John Borthwick Grant and family.

Louis Molteni and Margaret Molteni: 

The first residents (and likely owners) of 934-936 King Street West were Louis Molteni and Margaret Molteni. The Moltenis resided at 934 King Street West from 1876 until 1878 and then at 936 King Street West from 1878 until 1882.   

Louis Molteni and Margaret Molteni were husband and wife. Louis Molteni was born in Italy in about 1825 and arrived in Canada on the passenger ship Niger in 1871. Margaret Molteni (1836-1882) was born in England in about 1836. Both were members of the Church of England. 

Louis Molteni was employed as a looking glass manufacturer and looking glass silverer. As of the early 1880s, one of his clients was R. Hay & Company. Margaret Molteni operated a grocery shop from the property. 

In August 1882, Margaret Molteni tragically committed suicide with "ten cents of strychnine" (The Globe (Toronto)) 1882, 6). Reports of her death indicate that the Moltenis owned both 934 and 936 King Street West. Louis Molteni appears to have moved from the property following her death.  

Please note historical sources spell Louis as both Louis and Lewis and Molteni as both Molteni and Moltini. 

John Borthwick Grant and Family:

The first residents of 936 King Street West were John Borthwick Grant (1839-1926) and his family. The Grants resided at 936 King Street West between 1876 and 1878.

John Borthwick Grant was born in 1839 in Edinburgh, Scotland. At age 15 (c. 1854/1855), he served with the British military in Ukraine during the Crimean War. In 1871, he married Louisa Ross (1851-1926) in London, England. The Grants had emigrated to Canada by 1873. John and Louisa Grant had 10 children — 3 daughters and 7 sons — born between 1873 and 1892. The family were Congregationalists.

The Grants initially settled on Elizabeth Street in St. John's Ward and moved to 936 King Street West in 1876. By the mid-1870s, John Borthwick Grant and Robert Woodward had established the embossing, lithography, and printing firm Woodward and Grant. Woodward and Grant was based at 32 and 44 King Street East. 

Following 1878, the Grants continued to live on this block of King Street West in a nearby building through the 1880s. The Grants later moved to Vancouver during the 1890s where he continued his work as an embosser, lithographer, and printer. John Borthwick Grant died in Vancouver in 1926.

Later Occupants and Uses:  

Circa 1884/1885:

934 King Street West: Joseph Martin — a carpenter at F. Jobin. F. Jobin was a wagon making company owned by Felix Jobin and based on Richmond Street West. 

936 King Street West: Diggory B. Heard — grocer (D. B. Heard) and express (shipping) service. 

Circa 1889/1890: 

934 King Street West: Joseph Martin — a carpenter. 

936 King Street West: Diggory B. Heard — grocer (D. B. Heard) and express (shipping) service. 

Circa 1899/1900:

934 King Street West: William J. Wright — restaurateur. 

936 King Street West: William J. Wright's restaurant.

Circa 1909/1910:

934 King Street West: James Abbott — blacksmith. 

936 King Street West: Peter Dillon — grocer. 

Circa 1919/1920:

934 King Street West: Guy Pethick — barber.

936 King Street West: Matilda Tuft — grocer. 

Circa 1929/1930:

934 King Street West: Nelson Armstrong — barber.

936 King Street West: Matilda Tuft — grocer; and George Tuft.

Circa 1939/1940:

934 King Street West: Nelson Armstrong — barber.

936 King Street West: Vacant.

Circa 1949/1950:

934 King Street West: Leslie Fallis, Norman Fallis, and Alfred Simpson.

936 King Street West: The Canteen Grill. 

Circa 1959/1960:

934 King Street West: Three residential apartments.

936 King Street West: The Canteen Grill. 

Circa 1968/1969:

934-936 King Street West: The Palms Restaurant. 

Please note the storefronts appear to have been consolidated together during the 1960s. 

2009 to Present Day (January 2022): 

Since circa 2009, 934-936 King Street West has contained several Thai restaurants on its ground floor, including: Young Thailand (c. 2009-2016); Anchon Thai Kitchen (c. 2017); and Thai Room (c. 2018 to present day). The upstairs appears to contain residential space(s).

(Research by Adam Wynne)