Toronto’s historic buildings are recorded in several public registers, and the oldest examples in this section date from the early 1800s. The Grange, built about 1817 for D’Arcy Boulton Jr., is among the earliest; Old City Hall, completed in 1899, is among the best known. This section of History of Toronto gathers short entries on houses, hospitals, courthouses, college buildings, markets, and theaters, and this page explains how to use them.
What the section covers
The section is organized as an alphabetical index that points to listing pages. The first listing page, the verified list of six historic Toronto buildings, gives the name, construction years, architect or builder, location, and current status of each building, checked against public heritage records. Other entries in the original index have not yet been checked in the same way, and they are not presented here as established fact until they are.
The six buildings on the first listing page are the Victoria Hospital for Sick Children on College Street, the Grange on Dundas Street West, Old City Hall on Queen Street West, Osgoode Hall, the College Street Wing of Toronto General Hospital, and the Ontario Legislative Building at Queen’s Park. Together they span 1817 to 1913 and show how different bodies recognize a building: municipal by-law, provincial plaque, or federal designation.
How heritage status works
A Toronto building can carry several kinds of recognition at once. City Council can designate a property by by-law under the Ontario Heritage Act. The by-law for the former Sick Children’s hospital at 55 to 67 College Street was passed on November 26, 1975, and the by-law for the College Street Wing of Toronto General Hospital at 101 College Street was enacted on December 13, 2007. The Ontario Heritage Trust places provincial plaques. The federal government recognizes National Historic Sites: the Grange was designated on June 8, 1970, and Osgoode Hall on November 15, 1979.
The Canadian Register of Historic Places, administered by Parks Canada and published at historicplaces.ca, brings recognized places at the local, provincial, territorial, and national levels into one database. A listing records value and dates, but it does not give the public a right to enter a property, since most listed places are privately owned.
Where to check a building
Each source answers a different question, and none of them covers everything. The table below shows what each one is best used for in this section.
| Source | What it records | Example from this section |
|---|---|---|
| City of Toronto Heritage Register and by-laws | Municipal designation, reasons for designation, heritage attributes | By-law 1363-2007 for 101 College Street |
| Ontario Heritage Trust | Provincial plaques and the Ontario Heritage Act e-Register, which holds designation by-laws | The 1975 by-law for 55 to 67 College Street |
| Canada’s Historic Places (Parks Canada) | National Historic Sites, construction dates, architects, statements of value | Osgoode Hall and the Grange |
| Legislative Assembly of Ontario | History of the Legislative Building | Opening on April 4, 1893 |
| Toronto Public Library digital archive | Historic photographs and drawings for comparing a building then and now | Views of College Street buildings |
Why dates differ between sources
Construction years are rarely identical across records. Parks Canada gives 1817 to 1818 for the Grange, while a City of Toronto heritage report gives 1817 to 1820. The Sick Children’s hospital is described as opening in 1892 on a Toronto Historical Board plaque, but the 1975 by-law dates it to 1893 and credits Darling and Pearson, where the plaque names Darling and Curry. Old City Hall is dated 1889 to 1899 by both the Ontario Heritage Trust and the City of Toronto, yet sources disagree on the year of its National Historic Site designation. Entries in this section name each source when records conflict.
Plaque text and present status
Plaque wording reflects the year it was written. The Old City Hall plaque describes the move of City Council to the new City Hall in 1965. The City of Toronto’s visitor page now states that the building operated as a provincial courthouse until April 2025 and is open to visitors, events, and civil wedding ceremonies. Current use should always be read from a recent official page, not from a plaque.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a municipal designation and a National Historic Site?
A municipal designation is a by-law passed by City Council under the Ontario Heritage Act. A National Historic Site is recognized at the federal level and listed by Parks Canada. A building can hold both kinds of recognition.
Where can the heritage status of a Toronto building be checked?
The City of Toronto Heritage Register, the Ontario Heritage Act e-Register on the Ontario Heritage Trust website, and the Canadian Register of Historic Places at historicplaces.ca are the three main public sources.
Is Old City Hall still a courthouse?
According to the City of Toronto, it operated as a provincial courthouse until April 2025. The building is now open to visitors and can be booked for events and civil weddings, subject to availability.
Does a register listing mean a building is open to the public?
No. Canada’s Historic Places states that most listed places are privately owned and that a listing does not grant permission to enter.
Related reading
- Toronto history hub
- A short overview of Toronto’s past
- Historic churches of Toronto
- The county of York history book
- The CN Tower story
Sources
- Canada’s Historic Places, Canadian Register of Historic Places (Parks Canada)
- Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations
- City of Toronto, By-law 1363-2007 and the 1975 by-law for 55 to 67 College Street (via the Ontario Heritage Act e-Register)
- Ontario Heritage Trust, plaque and register records
- City of Toronto, Old City Hall visitor information
- Legislative Assembly of Ontario, building history
All pages in this section
The section continues on numbered pages that keep the earlier listings.
- Historic buildings of Toronto, part 1
- Historic buildings of Toronto, part 2
- Historic buildings of Toronto, part 3
- Historic buildings of Toronto, part 4
- Historic buildings of Toronto, part 5
- Historic buildings of Toronto, part 6
- Historic buildings of Toronto, part 7
- Historic buildings of Toronto, part 8
Last verified: October 2026
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 23). Historic Buildings of Toronto. http://localhost:8210/history/buildings
MLA: “Historic Buildings of Toronto.” History of Toronto, 23 Oct. 2026, http://localhost:8210/history/buildings. Accessed .
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