The Flatiron Building at 49 Wellington Street East, officially known as the Gooderham Building, is one of Toronto’s most iconic heritage landmarks. Completed in 1892, it predates New York City’s more famous Flatiron Building by a full decade. Commissioned by George Gooderham, the wealthy distiller and head of Gooderham & Worts, the red brick structure was designed by architect David Roberts Jr. to serve as the company’s head office. Its distinctive wedge-shaped design elegantly occupies the narrow triangular lot where Front, Wellington, and Church Streets intersect. The building stands five stories tall and showcases Romanesque and Gothic Revival influences, with arched windows, decorative cornices, and a steep copper roof that adds to its historic character. A notable feature is the mural painted on its back wall—an optical illusion called a trompe-l'œil created by Canadian artist Derek Besant in 1980, which mimics the building’s architecture. Over the decades, the Flatiron Building has survived waves of urban development and has become a beloved visual anchor in the St. Lawrence Market neighborhood, as well as one of Toronto’s most prestigious addresses for office. Today, it remains a symbol of old Toronto, bridging the city’s industrial past with its modern architectural skyline.