Lawrence Park History

The Lawrence Park subdivision was assembled in 1907 by the Dovercourt Land Building and Saving Company. The Dovercourt Land Company acquired the north parcel of Lawrence Park from John Lawrence, after whom this neighbourhood is named.

Wilfred Servington Dinnick was the president of the Dovercourt Land Company. It was under Dinnick's direction that Lawrence Park was developed as a suburb for the 'well to do'.

The first advertisement for Lawrence Park trumpeted it as an 'aristocratic neighbourhood', 'four hundred feet above Lake Ontario', and 'Far from the Lake Winds in Winter'.

Despite all its fanfare, Lawrence Park's development was sporadic. The building of houses was interrupted by two world wars, a recession, and a depression. It wasn't until the 1950's that this neighbourhood was completely developed.