Swansea's historical roots go back to 1615, when Eteinne Brule first set foot on what is now known as Swansea. First Nations had long inhabited this area and played a prominent role in this early History.
During the 19th century the area later known as "Swansea" was divided into two farm lots.
The western half was originally home to Toronto's first European inhabitant, and the eastern half was purchased in 1838 by Toronto philanthropist and architect John Ellis. In 1884 the Ellis estate was sold off and one of the first buyers was James Worthington. The area first called "Windermere" after England's "Lake District" was renamed "Swansea" and incorporated as a village in 1926. This forested village soon began to see the building of many upper middle class homes on the former Ellis estate, as a quiet neighbourhood began to develop.
Today, the historical names of Ellis, Worthington, Windermere, Herne Hill, Old Mill, Grenadier, Rennie, Coe and Brule are recognized as neighbourhood streets.
In 1954, the Village of Swansea left York County and joined the new region of Metropolitan Toronto and in 1967 along with Forest Hill Village, became the last two independent villages to be annexed by the City of Toronto.
Swansea Real Estate
