Gooderham Flatiron Building

Gooderham Building: A Historic Toronto Landmark

One of the first sights we point out as we leave downtown Toronto is the Gooderham “Flatiron” Building, and it’s definitely one you’ll want your camera ready for.

Built in 1892, this distinctive triangular building is known as a “flatiron” structure, designed to fit the narrow wedge of land where two streets meet. What makes it especially unusual is how narrow it becomes at the front. The tip of the building is only a few feet wide, giving it its instantly recognizable, almost paper-thin appearance.

While similar buildings exist in other cities, including New York, Toronto’s Gooderham Building actually predates the famous Flatiron Building there by nearly a decade.

Originally constructed as the office for the Gooderham & Worts distillery, the building remained in the family until 1952. It was later designated a historic site under the Ontario Heritage Act and continues to be used as an office building today.

Beyond its shape, the building is known for several unique features. On the back wall is a trompe l’oeil mural by Canadian artist Derek Michael Besant, designed to “fool the eye” by appearing as a three-dimensional extension of the neighbouring Perkins Building.

Inside, the building once housed one of Toronto’s first manually operated elevators, along with a walk-in vault and even a tunnel connecting to a bank across the street, allowing large sums of money to be moved securely without going outside.

Thanks to its historic look, the Gooderham Building has also been used in film and television productions, including scenes in Cinderella Man, Chicago, the series Suits, and the homebase of The Boys in The Boys, often standing in for older North American city settings.

‍

Why the Gooderham Building Is Featured on our Niagara Falls Tour from Toronto

As we leave the downtown core, the Gooderham Building stands out as a reminder of Toronto’s early industrial era. Surrounded by modern buildings, it offers a glimpse into the city’s past and marks one of the first transitions as we head out toward Niagara Falls.