Arguably Upper Canada’s most colourful historical figure, William Lyon Mackenzie was Toronto’s first mayor, but is best remembered for his rabble-rousing, anti-establishmentarianism and inflammatory journalism. His political opponents, largely comprising the aristocratic Family Compact, were so infuriated by his radical newspaper that they threw his cases of type into the lake. Long after the 1837 rebellion, he became a respected politician, sitting in the legislative assembly from 1851 to 1858. Despite his fame, he was never a rich man; upon his retirement, his supporters raised money so that he could purchase this quaint Greek revival home. Period decor and furnishings hint at a middle-class family straining to keep up appearances. Light pine has been faux finished to look like dark walnut, and the black Regency-style chairs found in the dining room are covered in horsehair, a material that mimics the look of heavy silk. A fully functional 19th-century print shop at the back of the house contains Mackenzie’s original type cabinet and reproductions of his newspapers.