The Tollkeeper’s Cottage at Bathurst Street and Davenport Road is an inspiring example of community coming together to rescue, preserve, and restore a historic building.

The Community History Project, a non-profit charitable organization, put in an enormous amount of work to acquire the building and move it to its current location, opening it to the public in 2003. Today they give terrific tours of the property on Saturdays (check the website for more information).

The City of Toronto has designated the Tollkeeper’s Cottage under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act, and long may it stand. There’s a 1995 Heritage Toronto plaque on the property for the historic Davenport Road, and I’m wondering if a plaque for the cottage itself might be in the offing?

Here’s a video tour with background information.

Of the many historical artefacts in the museum (wonderful kitchen tools), I was attracted to this beautiful bedspread, handmade from old suiting fabric. And have a look below at the underside of the rope bed itself. Definitely a contrast with the furnishings at Casa Loma, which I visited later the same day.

“Sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite”. #Didyouknow this saying comes from 19th C rope beds like this one? (1/2) pic.twitter.com/1b3jo3ZDV7

— Tollkeeper’s Cottage (@tollcottage) August 2, 2014

Tollkeeper’s Cottage is museum no. 46 in my #100museums challenge (see 100 Museums Challenge).