Banting House National Historic Site of Canada

Banting House was designated a national historic site in 1997 because: it is importantly associated with an event and a person recognized to be of national significance; it is the only extant structure of its kind that is associated with Dr. Frederick Banting between 1920 and 1922; and Banting House is documented and recognized as the site of the defining moment of the most consequential medical discovery in Canadian history. The heritage value of this site resides in its association with Dr Banting as illustrated by the house itself.

Banting purchased the house at 442 Adelaide Street for his home and medical practice, and moved there in July 1920. Banting used the front rooms on the main floor as his consulting office and slept in an upstairs front bedroom, renting the rest of the house to the former owners. It was here one night in October 1920, that, sleepless from anxiety over his finances and his part-time lecturing responsibilities at the university, he conceived the idea that taking an extract from a dog=s pancreas might be useful in treating diabetes. With the help of Professor J.J.R. Macleod, Banting eventually found lab facilities and an assistant (Charles H. Best) at the University of Toronto. There, they and James B. Collip pursued the research that led to the discovery of insulin in January 1922. Banting sold the house at 442 Adelaide Street at the end of 1921.

The house retains its architectural integrity, with the exception of the modern addition on the east side. It is known internationally as AThe Birthplace of Insulin@ and has a special significance to those who suffer from diabetes or do research in the field. It is the only extant historic structure connected with Banting and the discovery of insulin during the 1920-22 period.