Bank of Upper Canada Building
| Bank of Upper Canada Building | |
|---|---|
The Bank of Upper Canada Building
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical, Second Empire |
| Address | 252 Adelaide Street East |
| Town or city | Toronto, Ontario |
| Country | Canada |
| Current tenants | Myplanet, Massage Matters, POUT |
| Construction started | 1825 |
| Completed | 1827 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 7,500 square feet (700 m2) (orig.) 2,500 square feet (230 m2) (1851 addition) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | William Warren Baldwin |
| Official name | Bank of Upper Canada Building National Historic Site of Canada |
| Designated | 1977 |
| Designated | November 26, 1975 |
The Bank of Upper Canada Building is an 1827 bank building in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and one of the few buildings in Toronto that predates Toronto. It is located at 252 Adelaide Street East (originally 27 Duke Street East), in the Old Town district. Opened in 1827, in what was then York, it housed the Bank of Upper Canada until the bank's collapse in 1866. It was used for school purposes, and various commercial and industrial purposes before being restored in 1982 for commercial office space. It has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada since 1977.
The building is a three-storey limestone building. The building was originally two floors with a flat roof. It is attributed to William Warren Baldwin, but it may have been designed by Francis Hall. The Doric portico, designed by John George Howard was added in 1843. Sometime after 1859, a new roof with dormers was added. In 1876, a third floor in the Second Empire style, was added by De La Salle College. As well, the building has been extended twice to the north, along George Street. Stone Kohn Architects are responsible for the 1982 restoration design. It is adjoined to the next door De La Salle Institute building (1871) and Toronto's first post office (1834) along Adelaide Street.
The bank had opened in 1821 in a nearby store until it constructed the new building, Toronto's first bank building, in 1827, at that time one of few stone buildings in York. During the 1837 rebellion, William Lyon Mackenzie and the Reformers marched down Yonge Street to attack this building and steal the gold stored within - unsuccessfully. In 1851, the bank built an addition to the rear. The bank itself failed in 1866 and was put in receivership.
The property was sold in 1870 to the Christian Brothers. In 1871, a Roman Catholic boys' school, the De La Salle Institute, today's De La Salle College, was built next door at 258 Adelaide Street, adjoining the bank building. In 1874, the school also bought 264 Adelaide, built for the town's postmaster, which dates to 1833–34. The Brothers sold the three buildings to the Catholic School Board in 1884, but used them rent-free after the sale. After the college started offering secondary classes, it took over the bank building as well. The school left the site in 1913.
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