Ledbury is a neighbourhood in transition. The first generation of Ledbury families have been gradually moving out of the neighbourhood and young urban professional families are moving in. The ripple effect in this change in demographics can be seen in the flurry of building activity currently taking place in this neighbourhood as the original housing stock is gradually being replaced with expensive custom built homes. The local parks have also undergone recent improvements and Avenue Road has emerged as one of Toronto’s finest shopping districts.
History of Ledbury Park
Ledbury was a small farming community up until the early 1900’s when the first houses in this neighbourhood were built along Bedford Park and Woburn Avenues, on the site of the old Lawrence farm.
The Ledbury area north of Woburn Avenue had been the former hobby farm of Alfred St.Germain, the successful publisher of the old Toronto Evening Journal. The St. Germain property was subdivided in 1922 by the Melrose Realty Company under the name Melrose Park.
Melrose Realty president H.A. Clark selected the street names for the Melrose Park subdivision. St. Germain was chosen for obvious reasons, while Old Orchard Grove recalls the St. Germain apple orchard. Deloraine, Melrose, Marmion, and Falkirk are street names adopted from the works of Sir Walter Scott, of whom Clark was an avid fan.
Ledbury’s residential development was not fully complete until the 1950’s when Ledbury school and Ledbury Park were added to this neighbourhood.
