Don Jail
The restored front facade of the Don Jail building in 2013
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| Location | Toronto, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Status | Closed |
| Security class | Short Term (Remand) |
| Capacity | 550 |
| Opened | 1864 (original jail) 1958 (east wing) |
| Closed | 1977 (original jail) 2013 (east wing) |
| Managed by |
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| Governor | George L. Allen (1864-1872) |
The Don Jail is a former jail in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located to the east of the Don River, on Gerrard Street East in the Riverdale neighbourhood. It was completed in 1864, and was recently renovated to serve as the administrative wing of Bridgepoint Health, a rehabilitation hospital located adjacent to the jail. Prior to its adaptive reuse as part of a healthcare facility, the building was used as a provincial jail for remanded offenders and was officially known as the Toronto Jail. The jail originally had a capacity of 184 inmates and was separated into an east wing for the men and west wing for the women.
The "Don Gaol" was built between 1858 and 1864, with a new wing being built in the 1950s. Designed by architect William Thomas in 1852, it was constructed with a distinctive façade in the Italianate style with a pedimented central pavilion and vermiculated columns flanking the main entrance portico, and it is one of the oldest pre-Confederation structures that remains intact in Toronto.
The Don Jail is the only jail to have been officially designated the Toronto Jail, yet has rarely been referred to as such outside official circles, with the facility more commonly known as the Don Jail or The Don. The first King Street Gaol, second King Street Gaol and the Toronto Central Prison were all colloquially known as the Toronto Jail, and the Don Jail likely earned its unofficial name to distinguish it from these other facilities.
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Wikipedia