Friday, March 23, 2012

Louis J. West House - 17 Albert Avenue

Louis J. West House - 17 Albert Avenue
© Michael Harrison 2012 

This home was built for Louis J. West circa 1912.  

Louis J. West was born in London, England in 1872 and immigrated to Canada with his parents James and Harriett West shortly thereafter.  They settled in Toronto and James West worked as a butcher.  Louis was educated at Toronto and later founded the brokerage firm of Louis J. West and Company.  

On October 11, 1898 Louis married Ethel May Shafer, daughter of James and Mary Shafter.  He moved to Mimico in about 1904 where he took an active part in the incorporation of Mimico as a police village in 1905.  At first he lived on Southampton Avenue (present day Cavell) and then Station Road before moving into his new house in 1912.

courtesy of The Mimico Story 

In 1919 he was elected Mayor of the town and held the post for two years.  He was one of the founders, and one time president of the Toronto Stock Exchange.  He retired from his brokerage firm in 1931 and then purchased the Jermyn Estate on Mimico Beach.  He died there on October 3, 1936, leaving an estate valued at over $395,000. ( $6,496,148.65 in 2012 dollars)

The West family continued to live at the estate until they sold it to the Peckover family in 1945. 

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