Photo: A Yee from Klein, United States · CC BY 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
City hall · Toronto, Canada
Old City Hall
- Dated
- Dated 1889–99
- Declared purpose
- City hall and county courthouse
- Today
- Survives, courthouse until 2023
- Architect of record
- E. J. Lennox, architect: about 32 when credited (1886, born 1854). Build time on record: about 10 years (1889–99).All architects of record →
Hidden history
Found, Not Built
A Romanesque sandstone hall with a clock tower at the head of Bay Street. What the photos show is the same rough-stone style as Pittsburgh and Buffalo.
Ten years
The record gives about ten years, credited to E. J. Lennox.
Faces in the stone
Carved faces on the front are said to mock city councillors. Researchers ask who really carved them.
Saved
It was set to be demolished in the 1960s and was saved.
Questions worth asking
- Why is the same Romanesque style in so many cities at once?
- What was planned for the site when demolition was proposed?
Possible original uses
- A courthouse or parliament
- A clock and signal tower
Surrounding Buildings
Old buildings nearby in Toronto. Compare the stone, the domes and the dates.
Further viewing
Episodes from My Lunch Break (Michael Kruse), the main lens for this app. They open on YouTube.
