1826–1912
Toronto Necropolis
Section F Lot 111
Leonard Pears, born in Yorkshire, England, in 1826, arrived in Toronto in 1851 where he helped shape the city’s architectural identity through his brickmaking enterprise. After learning the trade at William Townsley’s brickyard and completing contracts in Quebec, Pears founded the Yorkville and Carlton Brick Manufacturing Company, which grew to produce an impressive six million bricks annually.
What made these bricks special was their distinctive pale-yellow hue and fine texture, qualities rooted in Yorkville’s unique geology. During the last Ice Age, glacial deposits left behind clay rich in lime and low in iron. This composition caused the bricks to burn to a soft buff colour, setting them apart from the red bricks common elsewhere. Each brick amounted to a physical record of the land’s history, telling the story of ancient sediments and the natural resources that fuelled Toronto’s growth. Builders prized these bricks not only for their beauty but also for their durability, using them in landmark structures such as St. James Cathedral, St. Michael’s Cathedral, St. Lawrence Hall and elegant Victorian homes throughout Yorkville.
Pears’ company didn’t just supply materials, it powered urban development and technological progress. His adoption of mechanized processes and large-scale production methods helped modernize the industry, while his bricks gave Toronto a distinctive architectural character that continues to endure. Streets like Belmont and Davenport still showcase homes built from Yorkville clay, and their soft yellow façades remain a striking signature of 19th-century Toronto.
When Yorkville was annexed by Toronto in 1883, Pears’ bricks had already become synonymous with quality and craftsmanship. Though his brickyards closed in the 1890s and the site became Ramsden Park, across from the Rosedale TTC station, the legacy of Leonard Pears lives on in the city’s historic streetscapes, a testament to the land beneath our feet and the vision of a man who turned clay into heritage.
Sources:
• Mount Pleasant Group – Leonard Pears
• Toronto Historical Association – Yorkville Brickyards
• Wikipedia – Ramsden Park
Photo: Looking north east from the corner of Avenue Road and Davenport at the Leonard Pears homestead and brick yards now at 103 Pears Avenue. digitalarchiveontario.ca, unknown author, Baldwin Collection of Canadiana, public domain
