Kingston City Hall (Ontario)

Kingston City Hall
Kingston City Hall, 2008
Location	Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Built	1844
Original use	City hall, market, custom house, post office, police station, jail, and other uses
Current use	City hall
Architect	George Browne
Architectural style(s)	Neoclassical
Governing body	City of Kingston
National Historic Site of Canada
Designated	1961

Kingston City Hall is the seat of local government in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Occupying a full city block facing Lake Ontario in Kingston's downtown, the city hall is a prominent building constructed in the Neoclassical style with a landmark tholobate and dome.

The city hall was completed in 1844, with its scale and design reflective of Kingston's status as capital of the Province of Canada at that time. The architect chosen for the project in 1841 was George Browne, and the building was believed to be one of Browne's most outstanding works.

The building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1961.

On 18 April 1840 a fire destroyed much of the downtown section of Kingston, including the market area, the market building, and the original municipal offices located in the Baker Building on King Street facing Market Square. Mayor John Counter proposed a new market building and municipal building. Since Kingston was, at the time, the capital of the new Province of Canada, the appearance of the new town hall was planned to reflect the city’s status as the capital.

Architect George Browne, who had moved to Kingston from Quebec with the new government, won the design contest and drew the plans. He also took charge of construction. The final phase of construction, however, was overseen by William Coverdale after Browne was dismissed. The cornerstone was laid on 5 June 1843 by Governor General Charles Metcalfe at the location of the market overlooking the waterfront. The building was completed by November 1844.

The new city hall was constructed of limestone in the form of a T and incorporated a new market building that extended west toward King Street. Known as the market “shambles”, this wing of the city hall was designed as a public market and was used by hucksters, butchers and green grocers who occupied stalls. The market wing also included a clock tower. In 1865 the wing was destroyed by a fire. It was rebuilt with a smaller configuration but without the clock tower, and the clock was placed into the main dome. A fire in 1908 destroyed the main dome, which was reconstructed with a new clock.