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List of lost buildings and structures in Toronto

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This is a list of heritage, historic or simply notable older buildings that were demolished or lost due to fire or other causes in what is now Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In some cases, facades or portions of the original buildings have been retained or reconstructed.

York and earlier

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Prior to the establishment of Upper Canada in 1791, the area was first inhabited by indigenous peoples. In the 1600s, the area was inhabited by Iroquois bands, but by 1700, Mississaugas had established themselves on the north shore of Lake Ontario, and the Iroquois were no longer resident. The French regime set up forts to trade with the First Nations from 1720 and later, until the British conquest in 1763. The town of York was established in 1793 after the Toronto Purchase of 1787 from the Mississaugas.

Building Year
Completed 		Year
Demolished 		Location Image
Teiaiagon (Iroquois village) 1600s c. 1700 Baby Point near Jane St. and Annette St., east side of Humber River
Ganatsekwyagon (Iroquois village) 1600s c. 1700 East bank of Rouge River, near mouth
Magasin Royal (Fort Douville)[1] 1720 c. 1727 (abandoned) Baby Point, east side of Humber River
Fort Toronto (Fort Portneuf)[1] 1750 c. 1751 (superseded by Fort Rouillé) East of Humber River, near High Park's Grenadier Pond
Fort Rouillé[1] 1751 1759 Exhibition Place (outlines of fort are marked)
Rousseau House and Trading Post c. 1780 c. 1790s (abandoned) East side of Humber River, at or about The Queensway
First York Garrison 1793 1813 (war) Garrison Creek at Bathurst Street
Gibraltar Point Blockhouse 1794 1813 (war)
(rebuilt 1814, abandoned 1823) 		Gibraltar Point on the Toronto Islands
Castle Frank
(summer residence of John Graves Simcoe) 		1794 1829 (fire) Bloor Street at Don River
Maryville Lodge
(home of Sir David William Smith, 1st Baronet) 		1796 1854 Northeast corner of King and Ontario Streets
First Parliament Buildings 1796 1813 (war) Front and Parliament Streets
George Playter House 1796 c. 1834 Bloor St, north of present-day Parliament St
George Crookshank Estate 1797 1864 West of Bathurst, south of Bloor St
First York County Gaol 1798 1827 King St E, east of Yonge
Elmsley House
(home of John Elmsley) 		1798 1862 (fire) Simcoe Street, on the southwest corner of King Street West
Jarvis House
(home of William Jarvis) 		1798 Northwest corner of Sherbourne and Duke
Russell Abbey
(home of Peter Russell) 		1798 1856 Sherbourne Street, King Street East, Princess Street and Front Street
Oak Hill
(Aeneas Shaw Estate) 		1798 after 1871 East of Shaw St and north of Queen St W
Tannery of Jesse Ketchum 1790s 1820s Front Street
Berkeley House
(home of John Small) 		1790s 1925 King and Berkeley Streets
First Government House 1800 1813 (war) Fort York
Rectory of the Church of St. James 1801 1902 King Street East and George Street
Pine Grove
(home of Colonel James Givins) 		1802 1891[2] Halton Street at Givens Street View of James Givins House "Pine Grove", north side of Halton Street and Givins Street, Toronto, 1891
McGill Cottage
(home of John McGill) 		1803 1870s Church Street and Queen Street East
(current location of Metropolitan United Church)
First St. Lawrence Market building 1804 1820 Replaced by 1820 building
Quetton St. George House and Store
(later known as Baldwin House) 		1807–10 1901 Northeast corner of King and Frederick Streets
Red Lion Inn 1808 1889 Yonge Street, near Bloor
Caer Howell 1810 1915 West of University, north of Queen St W
Burning of York in 1813
Ketchum Family Home 1813 1839 Yonge and Adelaide Streets
Bellevue
(home of George Taylor Denison) 		1815 1890 Bellevue Avenue, south of College Street
Brookfield
(John Denison Estate) 		1815 1846 Northwest corner of Lot (now Queen) and Dundas (now Ossington)
Upper Canada Central School (founded as Andrew Bell Monitorial School) 1816 1844 Adelaide and Jarvis
Home District Grammar School – Blue School 1816 1825 College Square, north of St. James' Church
Gore Vale
(home of Duncan Cameron) 		1817 1926 South of Dundas St W, west of Gore Vale Avenue
John Strachan Residence 1818 1898 North of Front Street between York and Simcoe Streets.
Bank of Upper Canada – first building 1818 1915
British Wesleyan Methodist Chapel 1819 1832 George Street
Beverley House
(home of Sir John Beverley Robinson, 1st Baronet) 		1810s 1913 Richmond Street, between John and Simcoe Streets
Christopher Widmer House 1810s 1862 Front Street; moved in 1856
George Percival Ridout Mansion
(later the London House hotel) 		1820 1887 West side of Dorset St, now location of Metro Hall, east of John St, south of King St W
Second St. Lawrence Market building 1820 1831 Replaced by 1831 St. Lawrence Market building
Second Parliament Buildings 1820 1824 (by fire) Berkeley Street
Davenport
(home of Colonel Joseph Wells) 		1821 1913 Davenport Road, east of Bathurst Street
St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church 1822 Queen Street, east of Power Street
Ridout Home 1822 after 1832 Duke (now Adelaide) Street, east of Prince's Street
Joseph Cawthra Home 1824 some time after 1842 Frederick and Palace (now Front) Streets
Farmers' Storehouse Company 1824 Front Street East and Jarvis Street
Hazelburn
(Samuel Jarvis Estate) 		1824 1847 Jarvis Street, north of Lot (now Queen) Street
Firemen's Hall
(later Fire Hall No. 5) 		1826 1871 Church St, north of King
Robert Millen Cottage 1826 Teraulay (now Bay Street), north of Queen Street
Crown Inn and Mirror Printing Office 1826
York County Court House 1826 1852 Church Street and King Street
Doel Brewery 1827 1900s NW corner, Bay and Adelaide
King's College 1827 1893 Queen's Park, replaced by Ontario Legislative Building
(Second) York County Gaol 1827 Toronto Street and King Street
Moss Park
(William Allan Estate) 		1828 1903 Sherbourne Street
Arnold House 1829
Clover Hill
(John Elmsley Estate) 		1829 St. Joseph St at Bay St
York General Hospital
(First Toronto General Hospital) 		1829 1855 NW corner, King St W at John St.
Steamboat / City Hotel 1820s Front street
Fish Market 1820s 1830s–1840s Foot of Church Street
Ontario House Hotel 1820s 1862 Wellington and Church Streets
William Proudfoot Wines and Spirits 1820s
Montgomery's Tavern 1830 1837 (rebellion) Yonge and Eglinton
Upper Canada College (first campus) 1830 1891 King St W and Simcoe St
Andrew Ward Farm House 1830 1952 Dundas St W at Shaver Ave, Etobicoke
St. Andrew's Church of Scotland 1831 1878 Church and Adelaide Streets
Holland House 1831 1904 Wellington Street, between Bay and York Streets
Third St. Lawrence Market building 1831 1849 (fire) Replaced by 1851 St. Lawrence Market building
Third Parliament Buildings 1832 1903 Front Street, west of Simcoe Street
Baptist Church of York 1832
Gooderham and Worts Windmill 1832 1859 Trinity Street south of Mill St
(marked by red bricks)
Thomas Mercer Jones Villa
by John George Howard 		1833
St. James' Anglican Church
by Thomas Rogers (of Kingston) 		1833–39 1849 (fire) Church and King Streets
Canada Company Office
built by John George Howard 		1834 Frederick Street, between King and Front
Freeland's Soap and Candle Factory 1830s At the foot of Yonge Street
William Henderson's Grocery Store – built as Crown Inn 1830s ? King Street and Jarvis Street
York Third Post Office 1830s
Simon Washburn Residence 1830s? Adelaide and George Streets
Enoch Turner Brewery 1830s 1860s
Chewett's Block
built by John George Howard 		1830s King Street
John Severn Brewery 1830s Northeast of Yonge and Church Streets
Sheldon, Dutcheer and Company Foundry 1830s after 1843 Front Street and Yonge Street
Joseph Bloor Brewery 1830s Area of Mount Pleasant Road and Sherbourne Street

Toronto buildings

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Toronto was established in 1834.

Building Year
Completed 		Year
Demolished 		Location Image
Crookshank House 1834 facade incorporated into 56 Blue Jays Way
William Henry Draper Villa
by John George Howard 		1834
James Gooderham Windmill 1834 1866 Near mouths of Taddle Creek and Don River, south of Front St E. Was survey point for laying out Toronto. Foundation exists in Gristmill Lane in the current Distillery District
Dr. William Gwynne Cottages 1835 Dufferin Street south of King Street
John Sleigh House 1835
Taylor's Wharf 1835 1866? Frederick and George Streets and Palace (Front) Street. Commemorated by Taylor's Wharf Lane
York's 5th (Toronto's second) Custom House – 1 storey building 1835 Front Street, east of Yonge
Elmsley Villa 1837 1875 Bay St at Grosvenor
Freeland's Soap Factory c. 1837 1865 Yonge St at Front St, then on the harbour
Home District Gaol
John George Howard, architect. 		1837–1841 1887 Southeast corner of Front and Berkeley Streets
Hagerman Mansion / York House 1837 NE corner, Wellington St W at Simcoe
First Dover Court Estate 1837 1853 Dundas St W, west of present-day Ossington
145 King St E
built by John George Howard, Thomas Young 		1839 facade retained on new development
James McDonell Store
built by John George Howard 		1839 Church Street
Rusholme 1839 1954 Rusholme Road north of Dundas St W
New Fort York 1840 1947 Exhibition Place
(gate iron work used for ceremonial gateway to Guildwood Village)
Victoria Brewery/O'Keefe Brewery 1840s (rebuilt several times) Victoria Street and Gould Street
(a fragment exists at Guild Park)
Fire Hall No. 1 1841 1924 139–141 Bay St
St Paul's Anglican Church 1841 Bloor Street, between Church and Jarvis
Fire Engine No. 4 1842 1861 St. Patrick's Market
Queen St W
Kearnsey House 1843 1904 east of Yonge St north of Wellesley, now site of Dundonald St
Methodist Church 1844 1888 South side of Richmond Street between Yonge and Bay.
Moffat, Murray and Company 1844 1987 36 Yonge Street (facade preserved as part of Brookfield Place
Commercial Bank of the Midland District
(William Thomas) 		1845[3] 1992 13–15 Wellingtonn Street
facade preserved within BCE Place
Samuel Peters Jarvis Property 1845
Coffin Block Building 1845 1890s Front Street, replaced by Gooderham Building
Bank of British North America 1845 1871 Northeast corner, Yonge and Wellington Streets.
Bank of Montreal 1845 1885 Northwest corner, Yonge and Front Street, rebuilt with current building
Merchant's Bank 1845 façade retained as part of Brookfield Place, 181 Bay Street
Homewood
(residence of George William Allan)
by Henry Bowyer Lane 		1847 1964 Northwest corner of Wellesley and Sherbourne
Great Toronto Fire of 1849
Government Creek Bridge 1848–1851 1900?
Sunnyside Villa[4] c. 1848 1945 Sunnyside Ave at The Queensway
Argyle Hotel 1849–1865 1987 (facade preserved at Brookfield Place) 1 Wellington Street West, 46 Yonge Street, Downtown
William Gordon Property 1849
Gamble Grist Mill c. 1850 1881 (fire) Humber River north of Bloor St W
ruins incorporated into "Old Mill" in 1980s
Tecumseh Wigwam (tavern) 1850 1874 Bloor St W at Avenue Road (site of Park Plaza hotel)
John Hagerty Building 1851 1987 42 Yonge St (facade retained in Brookfield Place)
William Cawthra Building 1851 1987 44 Yonge Street (facade retained in Brookfield Place)
Fourth St. Lawrence Market building 1851 1904 Replaced by 1904 St. Lawrence Market North building
John Crawford Block 1852 1987 38-40 Yonge Street (facade retained as part of Brookfield Place)
Toronto Normal School

Frederick Cumberland and Thomas Ridout (Design)

1852 1963 (front façade portions incorporated into the entrance to Ryerson University's athletic centre) 40, 50 Gould Street
Trinity College (first campus) 1852 1925 Trinity Bellwoods Park (gates retained at Queen St W)
Cawthra House 1853 1949 Northeast corner of King and Bay Streets
Second Dover Court Estate 1853 1933 Dundas St W, west of present-day Ossington
Toronto Mechanics' Institute 1853 1949 Church St at Adelaide St E
Enoch Turner Property 1854
Provincial Lunatic Asylum 1854–1875 1975–1976 current day 999 Queen Street West
William Hey and John Dixon Warehouse Store 1855 1983 11 Wellington West
Facade preserved as part of Brookfield Place
Second Toronto General Hospital 1855 1913 Gerrard St, east of Parliament St
Crystal Palace 1858 1906 (fire) Moved and reconstructed in 1878 at Exhibition Place, replaced by Horticultural Building
The Hall
Casimir Gzowski Estate 		1858 1904 East side of Bathurst St, today's Alexandra Park
First Toronto Union Station 1858 1873 York Street at Station Street, replaced by second Union Station
Yorkville Town Hall 1860 1941 (fire) 856–860 Yonge Street (after demolition, some stone was retained on Fire Hall at 34 Yorkville Avenue)
Union Mills, Weston
built by John George Howard 		1860s Lawrence Avenue West and Weston Road (Side Line and High Street)
Ontario Bank 1861 1964 North-east corner of Wellington and Scott.
Heydon Villa 1864 1929 west of Dovercourt Road, south of College
Great Western Railway depot (later repurposed as a fruit market) 1866[5] 1952 (fire)[5] Yonge Street at Esplanade, now the site of the Sony Centre
Alexander Street Baptist Church 1867 c. 1950s Alexander Street between Yonge and Church streets
Grand Central Hotel
National Hotel 		1868 2013 facade preserved on 251 King Street East/39 Sherbourne Street, Old Town
Grand Opera House 1872–74 1927 south side of Adelaide St W, between Yonge and Bay
Customs House 1873 South-west corner of Yonge and Front Street
Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women 1872 1964 King Street West, east of Dufferin Street (now site of Lamport Stadium)
St. Andrew's Market 1873 1932 Richmond Street W between Brant and Maud, south to Adelaide
Toronto Central Prison 1873 1920 Liberty Street west of Strachan
Second Toronto Union Station 1873 1931 South-west corner of York and Front Streets, replaced by current Union Station
Jacob Bull House 1875 1990 14 John St, Weston
349 Yonge Street (Steeles Tavern 1936-1974, later annex of Sam the Record Man) 1875 2009 Downtown
Barnstable (Remegius Elmsley Estate) 1878 1921 Bay St at St. Joseph St
Hanlan's Hotel 1878 1909(fire) Hanlan's Point, Toronto Islands
Allan Gardens Pavilion Hall 1879 1902 (fire) Allan Gardens
William Davies Co. Pork Processing Plant 1879 c. 1990 Don River at Front St E (now Corktown Common and West Don Lands land development)
First Exhibition Grandstand 1879 1906 (fire) Exhibition Place
South Parkdale railway station 1879 1911 Jameson Avenue at GWR tracks
Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women 1880 1969 King Street West near Dufferin
Ontario Bolt Works 1881 1989 The Queensway at South Kingsway, Swansea
Manning Arcade
E. J. Lennox 		1882 1962 22–28 King St W
William Luke Buildings 1884 2015 774 Yonge Street (facade to be incorporated into condo project)
Yonge St Arcade 1884 1954 137 Yonge St / 74 Victoria St
The Beatty Building
E. J. Lennox 		1886 3 King St W
John Burns Carriage Manufacturers 1886 1996 126 John Street, Entertainment District (facade retained as part of Theatre complex, now fronts the Marshalls store)
Robert Lauder Stores 1886 2013 267–271 Queen Street East
Sunlight Park baseball stadium 1886 1913 Queen St E at Don River
Cyclorama 1887 1975 Front St W at York St
Empress Hotel[6] 1888 2011 (fire) 335 Yonge Street
First Parkdale Collegiate Institute
(then Jameson Collegiate) 		1889 1928 209 Jameson Ave
(replaced by current building)
University Avenue Armouries 1891 1963 University Avenue and Armoury Street
Toronto Board of Trade Building 1892 1958 Front Street East and Yonge Street
Beard Building 1894 1935 163 King St E at Jarvis St
Temple Building
(International Order of Foresters) 		1896 1970 Richmond and Bay
Hanlan's Point Stadium 1897(rebuilt 1903, 1910) 1926 (bleachers)
1937 (field removed for airport) 		Hanlan's Point, Toronto Island
John Kay Store 1898 design by S. George Curry, originally at 36–38 King Street W, facade retained at 11 Adelaide Street W
CNE Manufacturer's Building 1902 1961 (fire) Exhibition Place, now Better Living Centre site
Bank of Nova Scotia headquarters[7] 1903 1969 39 King St W (now Commerce Court)
Great Toronto Fire of 1904, 104 buildings destroyed
St. Lawrence Market North Building 1904 1968 Replaced by current St. Lawrence Market north building, itself slated for demolition
5 St. Joseph St Warehouse
Wickson & Gregg 		1905 2010 Street facade retained around condo tower
Second Exhibition Grandstand 1906 1947 (fire) Exhibition Place; now site of BMO Field
Royal Canadian Military Institute 1907 2010 426 University Avenue (historic facade reproduced 2014)
CNE Women's Building 1908 1961 Exhibition Place, now Better Living Centre site
Ardwold 1910 1936 Spadina Rd
North Toronto Collegiate Institute 1912 Collegiate Gothic (facade of original building in the courtyard of current structure), 70 Roehampton Avenue
Quebec Bank headquarters[8] 1912 1969 King St W at Bay St, now Commerce Court
Bank of Toronto 1913 1965 King and Bay (some stonework re-assembled at Guild Park)
Land Registry Office[9] 1915 1964 Queen St W at Bay St, now Toronto City Hall
Savarin Tavern 1919 1980 330 Bay Street (facade initially retained, later demolished)
Maple Leaf Stadium 1926 1967 Bathurst St at Fleet St
National Building 1926 2009 333 Bay Street (facade retained)
John McBride Estate 1927 2013 2621 Lake Shore Boulevard West, Mimico Built by John McBride first cousin of former Toronto mayor Sam McBride
Westinghouse Building 1927, 1935 2016 King Street at Blue Jays Way facade retained in new development
Commerce and Transportation Building 1929 159 Bay Street, NE corner at Front St
Stollery Building 1929 2015 1 Bloor Street West, Toronto Men's clothing store (1929–2014); being redeveloped into 80 floor condo (The One)[10]
Toronto Star Building 1929 1972 King Street West and Bay Street (now First Canadian Place)
Creeds Ltd Building 1930 1980 46 Bloor St W (now Holt Renfrew)
First Mount Sinai Hospital building c. 1930 2007 100 Yorkville Ave (facade retained as part of new development)
North American Life Building 1932 1976 112 King St W (now First Canadian Place)
William H. Wright Building
(former The Globe and Mail building) 		1937 1974 NE corner, King St W and York St
Toronto Postal Terminal 1941 1997 NE corner, Bay St at Lake Shore Boulevard. (Bay St and Lake Shore facades retained in Air Canada Centre)
Bank of Montreal Building 1948 1975 50 King St W
Exhibition Stadium 1948 1999 Exhibition Place
North York Fire Department Station 3 1950s 2006[11] Finch Avenue West west of Weston Road. Mural of station painted on building on the original site
Workmen's Compensation Board Head Office and Ontario Provincial Police Headquarters 1953 2011 90 Harbour Street Mix of Art Deco, Art Moderne and Modern Classical; to become site of 75-storey condo, Ten York[12]
Hall of Fame Building
Home of Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, Hockey Hall of Fame 		1961 2006 Exhibition Place. Front foyer incorporated into BMO Field

Scarborough

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Building Year
Completed 		Year
Demolished 		Location Image
William Stewart Darling House 1830s late 1950s Rev Darling cottage at junction of Kingston Road and Eglinton Avenue East was once oldest buildings in Toronto.
Part of a series on the
History of Toronto
History
Town of York (1793–1834)
City of Toronto (1834–1954)
Metropolitan Toronto (1954–1998)
Toronto (Amalgamated) (1998–present)
Events
Toronto Purchase 1787
Battle of York 1813
Battle of Montgomery's Tavern 1837
First Great Fire of Toronto 1849
Second Great Fire of Toronto 1904
Hurricane Hazel (effects) 1954
First Amalgamation 1967
Second Amalgamation 1998
Other
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See also

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References

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Bibliography
  • Booth Martyn, Lucy (1983). A View of Original Toronto. The Paget Press. ISBN 0-920348-30-0.
  • Lidgold, Carole M. (2000). The history of the Guild Inn. Toronto, ON: Brookridge Pub. House. ISBN 0969824483.
  • Lundell, Liz (1997). The estates of Old Toronto. Boston Mills Press. ISBN 1-55046-219-9.
  • Walker, Hugh (1982). The Spencer Clark Collection of Historic Architecture. Scarborough, ON: The Guild.
Notes
  1. ^ a b c Levine, Adam (2015). The Carry Place. Douglas & McIntyre. pp. 11–12. ISBN 978-1-7710-0022-2. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Meyer, Adam (May 3, 2007). "Blood-stained floor told the tale". Toronto Star.
  3. ^ "Heritage Building Historical Plaque". torontoplaques.com. Archived from the original on 2017-03-31.
  4. ^ Lundell 1997, p. 115.
  5. ^ a b Riddell, John (1994). The Railways of Toronto: The First Hundred Years. p. 13.
  6. ^ Staff, CityNews.ca (January 3, 2010). "6-Alarm Fire Destroys Historic Building". CityNews. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  7. ^ Lidgold 2000, p. 285.
  8. ^ Lidgold 2000, p. 286.
  9. ^ Lidgold 2000, p. 288.
  10. ^ "The One, 80-storey condo, pitched for Toronto's Yonge-Bloor corner | CBC News".
  11. ^ "Mimico Beach Estates: John McBride Estate - 2621 Lake Shore BLVD West - DEMOLISHED". 4 January 2012.
  12. ^ http://thetorontoblog.com/2011/07/17/ripe-for-redevelopment-will-offices-or-condos-rise-from-the-demolition-dust-at-90-harbour-street/
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