University College - Toronto, Ontario
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Metro2
N 43° 39.751 W 079° 23.596
17T E 629547 N 4835644
Unlike it's contemporary sister colleges at the University of Toronto, University College was and is non-denominational.
Waymark Code: WMF4XJ
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 08/23/2012
Views: 8
In 1968, University College was designated as a national historic site of Canada.
A plaque at the entrance reads (one in English and one in French):
"The building of University College in 1856-59 largely assured the future of the University of Toronto and drew it, in time, into a federal pattern, which was widely followed in Canada and the Commonwealth. Here was realized a major niniteenth century aspiration: The establishment of a non-denominational institution of higher learning supported by government. The building was designed by F. W. Cumberland and demonstrates his skill in freely adapting the Romanesque style to the pruposes of a college in the New World."
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"Shortly after taking power in the first responsible government of the Province of Canada, Reformist politicians led by Robert Baldwin wrested control of King's College from the Church of England in 1849 and renamed it the University of Toronto. Baldwin envisioned that denominational colleges would soon decide to affiliate themselves under the secular University of Toronto "with some vague status, perhaps as divinity halls". His hopes were dashed when the Presbyterian Queen's College in Kingston opted to stay independent. Baldwin resigned as premier in 1851, leaving his successor, Francis Hincks, to find another way to persuade the denominational colleges. Hincks decided that the university should adopt the collegiate university governance model, used for centuries at Oxbridge and more recently at the University of London.
On April 22, 1853, University College was created as the first constituent college of the University of Toronto, inheriting the teaching functions and resources of the former King's College, while the university itself became an examination body. Frederick William Cumberland was appointed in 1856 as the university architect to design and oversee the construction of the college's new building, completed in 1859. Until Wycliffe College joined the university in 1889, University College was the only member college within the University of Toronto, and therefore the principal of the college was also the de facto chief of the entire university. The following year, Knox College and Victoria College also joined the University of Toronto."