The Penny Farthing Commemorative Plaque, 2015
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Resource ID
5183
Access
Open
Address
114 Yorkville Avenue, Toronto, ON M5R 1B9
Credit Line
Heritage Toronto
Date of Creation
2015
Historical Themes
Program Category
Rights
Heritage Toronto
Time Period
Caption
The Penny Farthing Commemorative Plaque, 2015
Description
In 1963, John and Marilyn McHugh, owners of one of Yorkville’s first coffee houses, the Half Beat, opened the Penny Farthing in this Victorian house. For the next seven years, the venue hosted folk, blues, and jazz performances.
Inside, patrons heard such Canadian musicians as Malka & Joso, The Allen-Ward Trio, and The Dirty Shames, as well as international stars including José Feliciano, John Lee Hooker, and Josh White. Jazz artists Jim McHarg, Jim Galloway and others recorded the album Stompin’ at the Penny (1965) here with the legendary Lonnie Johnson. The coffee house also featured a backyard patio with a swimming pool.
The Penny Farthing gave two prominent Canadian artists their starts. A young Canadian folk singer-songwriter, Joan Anderson, who performed here in 1965, went on to international acclaim as Joni Mitchell. One year later, the Stormy Clovers debuted the songs of poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen.
Marker lat / long: 43.670869, -79.392938 (WGS84)