[1] The original one-room school was established in 1848 by Enoch Turner (1792–1866), a wealthy brewer and philanthropist, to educate the children in the poor neighbourhood surrounding his brewery.

However, city officials were unwilling to introduce such taxes, and as a result, all schools that benefited from any kind of public support were closed for a year.

Due to a severe fire at Little Trinity Anglican Church in 1961, the parish could no longer afford to care for the school building, and it fell into disrepair.

[2] To protect the building and raise funds for its restoration, a group of citizens together with members of the Little Trinity Church congregation set up the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Foundation on October 8, 1970.

After extensive interior and exterior renovations, the schoolhouse opened as a living history site and conference and reception centre.

[8] In 1869, the building was expanded to the west with an addition designed by noted Toronto architectural firm Gundry and Langley.

[2] The addition is a particularly early work by Henry Langley, who opened his own practice that same year, following the death of Thomas Gundry.