Todmorden Mills, first settled in the 1790s, was one of three paper mills operated by John Taylor & Brothers along the Don River.
In 1882, young William Taylor tested clay from fence post holes he happened to be digging at a nearby site: the results showed it was perfect for making bricks.
The Don Valley Brick Works was opened by William and his two brothers in 1889. The Taylors sold the factory to their brother-in-law Robert Davies in 1901.
The factory continued to thrive and grow, particularly after Toronto’s Great Fire of 1904, which destroyed much of the downtown core of the City, resulting in new by-laws required masonry construction for most buildings.
