GALLERY 1815–1870

TORONTO BAY AND ISLAND, 1815
Robert Irvine (1792–1823)
Art Gallery of Ontario, Gift in 1953 of the descendants of the late Mrs. Stephen Heward, a daughter of the Hon. George Crookshank and cousin of the artist who painted the picture. 

© 2007 Art Gallery of Ontario

This is a benchmark for the appearance of the Town of York immediately following the War of 1812. It is likely Irvine used a camera obscura to lay down his painting, so accurate is his recording of the buildings strung out along the north shore of the harbour.

GALLERY 1815–1870

PLAN OF THE FORT AT YORK UPPER CANADA SHOWING ITS STATE IN MARCH 1816
J[ean]-B[aptiste] Duberger, Royal Engineers Drawing Room, Quebec, 16 Feb. 1816.
[Sgd.] G[ustavus] Nicholls, Lt. Col. Royal Engineers, Quebec, 24th June 1816.
Library & Archives Canada, NMC 23139

The crater left after the explosion of the Grand Magazine is shown as a circular indentation in the shore below the southern ramparts. This plan of Fort York is cited as the basis for restoration under a 1909 agreement between the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto.

GALLERY 1815–1870

YORK, GIBRALTAR POINT, 1828
James Grey (fl. 1828)
Library & Archives Canada, C-002046

This view includes a romantic scene of natives cooking amidst the leafy wilderness on what would become the Toronto Islands. Gibraltar Point (so named by Simcoe in 1796) is now known as Hanlan's Point. The town appears in the distance while a steamship, symbolizing progress, crosses the harbour.

GALLERY 1815–1870

THE 71ST REGIMENT OF FOOT
Highland Light Infantry, Private 1829
J.C.H. (John Clifton Henry) Forster (1910–1993)

Commissioned by the Toronto Historical Board in the 1970s, this watercolour is sometimes on display at Fort York National Historic Site, Toronto. The 71st Regiment was garrisoned at York (Toronto), in 1829–31
and 1850–52.

GALLERY 1815–1870

COURT HOUSE AND JAIL, 1829
James Cockburn (1779–1847)
Library & Archives Canada, C-149951

These two buildings, constructed in 1824–27, stood on the north side of King Street between Toronto and Church Streets. St. James' Church is visible in the background.

GALLERY 1815–1870

THIRD PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS OF UPPER
CANADA, 1834
John George Howard (1803–1890)
City of Toronto Museums Collections, 1978.41.30.

These buildings, located on the north side of Front Street between John and Peter Streets, were built in 1829–32 to replace the buildings at Berkeley and Front which had burned in 1824. In turn, they had replaced Upper Canada's first Parliament Buildings on the same site that were destroyed by the U.S. invaders in 1813.

GALLERY 1815–1870

THE 15TH REGIMENT OF FOOT, PRIVATE 1834
J.C.H. (John Clifton Henry) Forster (1910–1993)

Commissioned by the Toronto Historical Board in the 1970s, this watercolour is sometimes on display at Fort York National Historic Site, Toronto. The 15th Regiment was garrisoned at Toronto, 1834–37.

GALLERY 1815–1870

THE MARCH OF THE REBELS UPON TORONTO IN DECEMBER 1837
C.W. (Charles William) Jefferys, (1869–1951)
Archives of Ontario, 621229

The civil rebellion of 1837 in Upper Canada was a wake-up call for the British authorities. In its aftermath they reinforced Fort York and built the New Fort (Stanley Barracks). As a security precaution during the rebellion, the province's gold was moved to Fort York for safe storage.

GALLERY 1815–1870

"D" BARRACKs, ca.1902
City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 70, series 327/1/5

These barracks were located in northwest bastion and built in the wake of the 1837 Rebellion. Frame or timber construction clad with weatherboarding, two storeys in height with full or partial basement. They replaced the Engineer's Quarters of 1814 which was usually the Commandant's residence, so the site is archaeologically sensitive. They could house 350 men, but were used for storage during much of their existence. They were taken down in the 1934 restoration of the fort.

GALLERY 1815–1870

ARTILLERY BARRACKS, ca. 1902
Toronto Public Library, T-11637

Located east of Blue Barracks, north of the central roadway, the Artillery Barracks were one storey in height and of frame construction.

GALLERY 1815–1870

COOKHOUSE, ca. 1902
Parson, photographer
City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 70, series 327/1/5

Located northeast of Officers' Brick Barracks and built ca. 1838. Frame construction. One storey in height with an unusual configuration to accommodate cooking facilities. Had huge central chimney stack flanked by louvered ventilators.

GALLERY 1815–1870

FORT AND PIER, TORONTO, 1839
Philip John Bainbrigge (1817–1881)
Library & Archives Canada, C-002801

The pier in this view was the Queen's wharf built in 1833 at the foot of present-day Bathurst Street.

GALLERY 1815–1870

BIRDS-EYE-VIEW OF NEW FORT AT TORONTO, 1841
Thomas Glegg
Archives of Ontario, 10006706

Thomas Glegg was likely an architect- draftsman in the Royal Engineers Department, employed in 1840–42 at Toronto in connection with the building of the
New Fort.

GALLERY 1815–1870

MAP OF FORT YORK, 1842
Library & Archives Canada, C-137340

This map shows the new buildings constructed following the 1837 Rebellion.

GALLERY 1815–1870

SLEIGH SCENE, TORONTO BAY, 1842
John Thomas Downman (1820–1904)
Toronto Public Library, T-13382

John Downman was a lieutenant in the 83rd Regiment stationed at Toronto in 1842–43 when he painted his fellow officers, some with lady-friends, enjoying sleighing on the Bay. The view was not published
until 1853.

GALLERY 1815–1870

THE 23RD REGIMENT, ROYAL WELSH FUSILIERS
Engraving from a book in Dept. of National Defence Library, Ottawa

The 23rd Regiment of Foot was stationed at Fort York in the early 1850's. It's regimental mascot is a goat, a tradition that has since been adopted by it's associated Canadian regiment, the Royal 22e Regiment.

GALLERY 1815–1870

FORT YORK RAMPART CROSS SECTION, 1854
W. J. Renwick, R.E.
Library & Archives Canada, NMC 23145

1854 Section of the South Ramparts showing the slope to Lake Ontario of the Circular Battery.

GALLERY 1815–1870

TORONTO, CANADA WEST, IN 1854
Edwin Whitefield (1816–1892)
City of Toronto Arts Services Collections, A82-28

Visible in this view are the docks in the harbour and Front Street, the main thoroughfare.

GALLERY 1815–1870

RAILWAY MAP, 1859
Engraved illustration in Report of Mr. Thomas E. Blackwell, vice-president...of the Grand Trunk Railway Company Canada, 1859
Library and Archives Canada, ISBN 0665228724

Between 1851 and 1856 Fort York was encircled by railways as three competing companies rushed to serve Toronto. 

For more information click here.

GALLERY 1815–1870

LADY ELGIN, ENGINE NO. 1 OF THE ONTARIO, SIMCOE, AND HURON RAILROAD UNION CO., 
ca. 1860–70
Library & Archives Canada, PA-138682

Construction on the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron, Toronto's first railway, began in 1851. Since no locomotive factory existed in Canada then, the OS&H ordered its first engine from the United States. Built in Portland, Maine, the engine was named the "Lady Elgin" in honour of the wife of the governor-general, the Earl of Elgin. Four days after being delivered to Toronto the "Lady Elgin," the first steam locomotive to run in Canada West (Ontario), began operating from the Queen's Wharf (Lakeshore Boulevard & Bathurst Street) while a large crowd of onlookers cheered.

GALLERY 1815–1870

NORTHERN RAILWAY PASSENGER DEPOT, ca. 1862
City of Toronto Archives, SC 347

The depot of the Northern (formerly Ontario, Simcoe & Huron) Railway was on the south side of Front Street, between Bathurst and Spadina, east of Fort York.

GALLERY 1815–1870

NORTHERN RAILWAY OFFICES, ca. 1862
City of Toronto Archives, SC 347

Toronto architect William George Storm designed offices for the Northern (formerly Ontario, Simcoe & Huron) Railway for a site at the northwest corner of Front and Spadina, soon (2012) to be the new home of the Globe and Mail.

GALLERY 1815–1870

CASIMIR GZOWSKI
Library & Archives Canada, 91755

Seen here late in life, Sir Casimir Gzowski came to Canada in 1842 with valuable engineering and surveying experience. In 1853 he took the contract to construct the Grand Trunk Railway west of Toronto from yards in front of Fort York. A pier built there for handling materials and equipment was called Gzowski's Wharf. Flanking June Callwood Park south of Fort York is a street named for Sir Casimir and his great-great-great grandson, Peter Gzowski.

GALLERY 1815–1870

SKETCH OF THE OLD FORT, 1865
Capt. J. Elgee, 34th Regiment
National Army Museum, London, U.K.

The Grand Trunk Railway operated west of Toronto from yards and a station constructed on fill south of Fort York near the Queen's Wharf. Seen here are passenger carriages in front of the ramparts, with the buildings of the fort behind.

GALLERY 1815–1870

RIFLEMAN, THE ROYAL CANADIAN RIFLE REGIMENT, ca. 1858–1870
Dept. of National Defence Library, Ottawa

The RCRR was recruited from British Army veteran soldiers to serve permanently in Canada. From ca. 1858 to 1870, it had the same uniform as the King's Royal Rifle Corps, shown here.

GALLERY 1815–1870

OLD FORT AT TORONTO IN 1860
Benson J. Lossing (1813–1891)

From The Pictorial Field-Book of the War of 1812: New York: Harper & Brothers, 1869, p.593

This view is of the east end of the fort from the foot of Bathurst Street.

GALLERY 1812–1870

CHARLES THOMAS VESEY BUNBURY ISAAC,
82ND REGIMENT, 1860s
Source: www.britishmedals.us

Major Isaac served at Fort York from 1844-46. While in Canada, he married Harriet Cartwright at Quebec in 1844. The regiment later participated in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny. Major Isaac lost his arm during the Battle of Cawnpore during the Indian Mutiny
of 1857.

GALLERY 1815–1870

SURVIVORS OF THE WAR OF 1812 IN 1861
William Armstrong, photographer
McCord Museum, Montreal, MP-0000.133

Survivors of the War of 1812 stand on Sheriff Jarvis's lawn, Rosedale, Toronto, on 23 October 1861. From left to right: Col. Geo. Duggan, Rev. Geo. Ryerson, William Roe, Jacob Snider, Dr. Jas. H. Richardson, Joseph Dennis, John Woodall, James Ross, Col. David Bridgeford and Geo. Ridout.

GALLERY 1815–1870

OFFICERS OF THE 30TH REGIMENT AT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, TORONTO, ca. 1862
Toronto Public Library, TRL, T-13753

Officers of the 30th Regiment at the Parliament Buildings on Front Street (built 1829–32). The regiment was one of the units dispatched to Canada from Britain during the Anglo-American tensions of the US Civil War.