This is a list of heritage, historic or simply notable older buildings that were demolished or lost due to fire or other causes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In some cases, facades or portions of the original building have been retained or reconstructed.
Prior to the arrival of Simcoe and the establishment of Upper Canada, the area was first inhabited by indigenous peoples. In the 1600s, the area was inhabited by Iroquois bands, but by 1700, Mississaugas had established 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 1670 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, 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 along Humber River |
| Fort Toronto[1] | 1750 | c. 1759 | Located east of the Humber River near High Park's Grenadier Pond |
| Fort Rouillé[1] | 1750 | 1759 | Exhibition Place, outlines marked |
| Rousseau House/Trading Post | c. 1780 | abandoned c. 1790s | East side of Humber River at or about The Queensway |
| Blockhouse Bay garrison | 1794 | 1813 (war)
(rebuilt 1814, abandoned 1823) | Gibraltar Point on Toronto Islands |
| Castle Frank | 1794 | 1829 (fire) | Bloor Street at Don River |
| Maryville Lodge | 1796 | 1854 | Power Street |
| First Parliament Buildings | 1796 | 1813 (war) | Front and Parliament streets |
| George Playter House | 1796 | c. 1834 | Bloor St north of present-day Parliament St |
| Crookshank Estate | 1797 | 1864 | West of Bathurst south of Bloor St |
| First York Garrison | 1797 | 1813 (war) | Bathurst Street at Garrison Creek |
| First York County Gaol | 1798 | 1827 | King St E, east of Yonge |
Jarvis House
(Home of William Jarvis, Provincial Secretary and Registrar) | 1798 | North-west corner of Sherbourne and Duke |
Russell Abbey
(Mansion of Upper Canada President 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 |
| Jesse Ketchum Tannery | 1790s | 1820s | Front Street |
| Berkeley House | 1790s | 1925 | King and Berkeley Streets |
| Fort York Government House | 1800 | 1813 (war) | Fort York |
| St. James' Rectory | 1801 | 1902 | King Street East and George Street |
| Colonel James Givins' House ("Pine Grove") | 1802 | 1891[2] | Halton St at Givens Street |
| McGill Cottage | 1803 | 1870s | Church Street and Queen Street East,
Location of Metropolitan Church |
| First St. Lawrence Market building | 1804 | 1820 | Replaced by 1820 building |
Quetton St. George House and Store
Baldwin House | 1807 | 1901 | 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 |
| Ketchum Family Home | 1813 | 1839 | Yonge and Adelaide Streets |
| Bellevue | 1815 | 1890 | Bellevue Avenue, south of College Street |
Brookfield
(John Denison Estate) | 1815 | 1846 | northwest corner of Lot(Queen) and Dundas(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
(Cameron Estate) | 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 |
| Widmer House | 1810s | 1862 | Front Street; moved 1856 |
| Beverley House | 1810s | 1913 | Richmond Street between John and Simcoe Streets. |
George Ridout Mansion
(Later London House hotel) | 1820 | 1887 | West side, 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 ( Wells House) | 1821 | 1913 | Davenport Road, east of Bathurst Street |
| St. Paul's Roman Catholic Church | 1821 | Queen Street east of Power Street |
| Ridout Home | 1822 | after 1832 | (Duke) Adelaide Street east of Prince's Street |
| Joseph Cawthra Home | 1824 | some time after 1842 | Frederick and Palace (Front) |
| Farmers' Storehouse Company | 1824 | Front Street East and Jarvis Street |
Hazelburn
(Jarvis estate) | 1824 | 1847 | Jarvis 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 (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 |
| Third Parliament Buildings | 1829 | 1904 | Front 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 |
| St. Andrew's Church of Scotland | 1830–34 | 1878 | Church and Adelaide |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 Street |
Canada Company Office
built by John George Howard | 1834 | Frederick Street between King and Front |
| Freeland's Soap and Candle Factory | 1830s | foot of Yonge Street |
| William Henderson's Grocery Store – built as Crown Inn | 1830s | ? | King Street East and Jarvis Street |
| York Third Post Office | 1830s |
| Simon Washburn Residence | 1830s? | Adelaide and George Street |
| 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 Streets |
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 | 1845 | 1890s | Front Street, replaced by Gooderham Building |
| Bank of British North America | 1845 | 1871 | North-east corner, Yonge and Wellington Streets. |
| Bank of Montreal | 1845 | 1885 | North-west corner, Yonge and Front Street, rebuilt with current building |
| Merchant's Bank | 1845 | façade retained as part of Brookfield Place, 181 Bay Street |
Henry Bowyer Lane Homewood
by John George Howard | 1846–1847 |
| Great Toronto Fire of 1849 |
|---|
| Government Creek Bridge | 1848–1851 | 1900? |
| Lundell|1997|p=115}} | 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 | 187 | 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) |
| 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[4] | 1952 (fire)[4] | 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 |
| 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[5] | 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 |
| Lidgold|2000|p=285}} | 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 |
| Lidgold|2000|p=286}} | 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) |
| Lidgold|2000|p=288}} | 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)[6] |
| 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) |
| Exhibition Stadium | 1948 | 1999 | Exhibition Place |
| North York Fire Department Station 3 | 1950s | 2006[7] | 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[8] |
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 |
{{History of Toronto}}1. ^1 2 {{cite book|title=The Carry Place|work=Toronto: Biography of a City|pages=11–12|year=2015|isbn=1-7710-0022-8|publisher=Douglas & McIntyre|last=Levine|first=Adam}}
2. ^{{cite news |url=https://www.thestar.com/news/2007/05/03/bloodstained_floor_told_the_tale.html |work=Toronto Star |first=Adam |last=Meyer |date=May 3, 2007 |title=Blood-stained floor told the tale}}
3. ^http://torontoplaques.com/Pages/Heritage_Building.html
4. ^1 {{cite book |title=The Railways of Toronto: The First Hundred Years |year=1994 |first=John |last=Riddell |page=13}}
5. ^{{cite news|last=Staff|first=CityNews.ca|title=6-Alarm Fire Destroys Historic Building|url=http://www.citytv.com/toronto/citynews/news/local/article/106130--6-alarm-fire-destroys-historic-building|accessdate=5 January 2011|newspaper=CityNews|date=January 3, 2010}}
6. ^http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/the-one-80-storey-condo-pitched-for-toronto-s-yonge-bloor-corner-1.2991732
7. ^http://mimicoestates.blogspot.ca/2012/01/john-mcbride-house-2621-lake-shore-blvd.html
8. ^http://thetorontoblog.com/2011/07/17/ripe-for-redevelopment-will-offices-or-condos-rise-from-the-demolition-dust-at-90-harbour-street/