Henry Ford (Founder of Ford Motor Co.) once said, “Customers can have their cars painted in any color they want, as long as it is black.”

Perhaps at Cabbagetown, one may find old houses from any period they want as long as it is Victorian.

Built for Frederick Nicholls, a merchant in Toronto, this detached Victorian-era brick house features bow bay windows which are double floored with a semi-elliptical curvature, supported by decorative extended eaves on each floor.

Above the elaborate bay windows, there is a decorative wrought iron crest and a gothic style gable trim with a weathervane.

On the left, there is an end wall verandah painted in a lovely shade of light turquoise green matching the other accented parts of the house.

On the right, the front steps are lined with a pair of chunky balustrades with the handrail painted in turquoise like the other parts of the house.

Frederick Nicholls was a strong believer of electricity, compared to coal gas and kerosene at the time.

He was a member of “Edison Pioneers”, an organization of people who worked closely with Thomas Edison.

Later in his life, he would work with Sir Henry Pellett (owner of Casa Loma) to electrify Toronto, forming the Electrical Development Company of Ontario. Its beaux arts style power station still stands today next to Niagara Falls.

Nicholls later became the General Manager of General Electric in Canada.

286 Carlton Street, Cabbagetown