Few Torontonians of the 1850s could have foreseen what would become of their city. Back then it was a compact community with few structures — mostly church steeples — more than several storeys high. People didn’t have much choice but to live close to where they worked, and often it was in the same building.

Everything has changed, of course. Little remains of the old city and, bit by bit, even that is being lost. So it was excellent news when Little Trinity Church on King St., east of Parliament, decided to restore the old rowhouse/storefronts on its property. The buildings had been sitting empty for decades and were in desperate condition. By the time the renovation scheme was launched a couple of years ago, the rowhouses were beyond reclamation. In the end, only the facades could be saved, but they are enough to provide a wonderful glimpse of Toronto 150 years ago.

To contemporary eyes, the biggest surprise is the sheer urbanity of it all. The buildings themselves are as simple and modest as can be; not much more than basic masonry boxes. But they’re very Georgian, and even elegant, in their organization. The windows, three per unit, are arranged horizontally on the second floor, which gives the sections the effect of being larger. Originally, there were two separate units with the one to the east featuring a large storefront window. They face north onto King St. E., reaching right out to the sidewalk.

These were not places for the rich and powerful. Indeed, Little Trinity Church was built because there were many who couldn’t afford the cost of pews further west at St. James Cathedral. Back in those days, many locals would have worked at Gooderham and Worts just south of the site, or perhaps at the TTC stables near Wilkins Ave a bit further to the east. Their children could have attended Enoch Turner Schoolhouse behind the church, which was constructed in 1848. That makes it one of the oldest structures in Toronto.

Though this area has been overlooked for decades, that has all changed recently. Gooderham and Worts is now the successful Distillery District and down the road, the West Don Lands is fast being remade as the city’s first truly 21st-century neighbourhood. Though the contrasts are profound in many ways, there are also many similarities. For example, both new and old precincts make a virtue of proximity. Both neighbourhoods are dense, compact and coherent. Things are close; walking makes sense. The scales vary, but the buildings have a clear relationship to the larger city and sit together so they add up to more than the sum of their parts.

The restored storefront will no longer be commercial or residential; instead it will be part of the church. The new structure behind the façade will include community meeting rooms and a kitchen. Work is nearly finished and look for an official opening sometime in May.