In 1818, Torrance built a 42-room mansion, St. Antoine Hall, off the then fashionable Saint Antoine Street.
The house was renowned for its acres of gardens, conservatories, vineries, and orchards, enjoyed by Torrance whose hobby was gardening - he was also an incorporator of the Horticultural Society of Montreal in 1849.
St. Antoine Hall was also famous for its high brick walls and the great gate which according to family tradition closed firmly at 10 p.m. Torrance's granddaughter, Evelyn (Galt) Springett (a god-daughter of Sir George-Étienne Cartier) remembered it as "a lovely place... great shady trees, and in summer the horse chestnuts were alive with humming birds".
Torrance had also purchased a small estate in his native Scotland, known as the 'Gatehouse'.
In 1818, Torrance built a 42-room mansion, St. Antoine Hall, off the then fashionable Saint Antoine Street. The house was renowned for its acres of gardens, conservatories, vineries, and orchards, enjoyed by Torrance whose hobby was gardening - he was also an incorporator of the Horticultural Society of Montreal in 1849. St. Antoine Hall was also famous for its high brick walls and the great gate which according to family tradition closed firmly at 10 p.m. Torrance's granddaughter, Evelyn (Galt) Springett (a god-daughter of Sir George-Étienne Cartier) remembered it as "a lovely place... great shady trees, and in summer the horse chestnuts were alive with humming birds". Torrance had also purchased a small estate in his native Scotland, known as the 'Gatehouse'.
John Torrance