Casa Loma

Casa Loma is the former estate of Sir Henry Mill Pellatt, a Toronto financier, industrialist and military man. Much of his fortune was made through investments in hydro electricity and railway industries. Sir Henry hired noted architect E.J. Lennox to build him and his wife a medieval castle on a brow overlooking Toronto. Begun in 1911, it took 300 men nearly 3 years to complete and cost $3,500,000; for a time, it was the largest residence in North America. Sir Henry enjoyed Casa Loma for a mere 10 years before financial loss forced him to abandon his castle home. Today, the mansion is owned by the City of Toronto and run by The Kiwanis Club of Casa Loma, which uses its share of the proceeds for charitable projects.