Trinity College, founded by John Strachan, the first Anglican bishop of Toronto, opened on January 15, 1852 as an Anglican college on Queen Street West. It federated with the University of Toronto on October 1, 1904, keeping its own college life and its degree-granting power in divinity. Since 1925 it has stood on Hoskin Avenue on the St. George campus.
Why Strachan founded a church university
In 1827, Strachan obtained a royal charter for King’s College, which required a president from the Church of England. That arrangement ended in 1849, when a bill introduced by Robert Baldwin made the college secular. The University of Toronto was established on January 1, 1850. The Dictionary of Canadian Biography records that Strachan issued a pastoral letter on February 7, 1850 condemning the change, called for a church-run university if the endowment could not be recovered, and gave £1,000 to start a subscription list. The longer story of that dispute is told in the article on the University of Toronto and in the biography of John Strachan.
In April 1850, Strachan sailed for England to secure a charter and raise money. He returned in the autumn of the same year, and the Dictionary reports a high degree of success without giving the sum raised. The Strachan entry also says that institution was absorbed into Trinity in 1852. It names an earlier base: the Diocesan Theological Institution founded at Cobourg in 1842 to train clergy, led by Strachan’s protégé A. N. Bethune; the Dictionary entry on Bethune says it opened in January 1842 with 15 students. Trinity’s own chronology treats that institute as the beginning of its Faculty of Divinity.
Queen Street West, 1850 to 1925
The college bought its original site on Queen Street West in 1850. Trinity’s chronology says the college was incorporated and its cornerstone laid on April 30, 1851, and the Dictionary of Canadian Biography also gives April 30, 1851 for the cornerstone. Wikipedia instead says the Provincial Parliament incorporated Trinity on August 2, 1851, so the incorporation date is disputed. Classes began in January 1852, with the opening on January 15. A royal charter giving the college the privileges of a university is dated July 16, 1852 according to Wikipedia; a separate local-history page gives only August 1852, so the month of the charter is also reported differently. Strachan died on November 1, 1867.
Trinity added a medical school in 1870 and admitted its first female students in 1884. St. Hilda’s College was created in 1888 as the women’s college of Trinity and incorporated on February 11, 1890. Both dates are from the college’s chronology.
Federation with the University of Toronto
By the 1890s the University of Toronto had absorbed several denominational colleges. The Canadian Encyclopedia notes that Victoria College and St. Michael’s College joined in 1890 and that Trinity followed in 1904. Trinity’s chronology gives October 1, 1904 as the date of federation, and Wikipedia adds that the College Corporation voted for it in 1903. Trinity Medical College and the faculties of law, dentistry, and music ceased then. Wikipedia says Trinity gave up its authority to grant degrees in subjects other than theology.
Trinity, Victoria, and St. Michael’s each kept university status so that they could keep granting theology degrees. The Canadian Encyclopedia says the Toronto School of Theology was created in 1969 as an independent federation of seven theology schools. Trinity’s own chronology and Wikipedia describe Trinity’s Faculty of Divinity as taking part in it, but they give different years (1969 and 1978), so the date of Trinity’s entry is not settled here.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1842 | Diocesan Theological Institution begins teaching at Cobourg |
| 1850 | Queen Street West site purchased |
| April 30, 1851 | Cornerstone laid; incorporation per the college chronology (Wikipedia gives August 2, 1851) |
| January 15, 1852 | College opens on Queen Street West |
| July 16, 1852 | Royal charter, per Wikipedia (one source gives August 1852) |
| 1884 | First female students admitted |
| October 1, 1904 | Federation with the University of Toronto |
| 1913 | Hoskin Avenue property acquired |
| June 4, 1923 | Foundation stone of Hoskin Avenue building laid |
| October 21, 1925 | Hoskin Avenue building formally opened |
| 1955 | Trinity College Chapel opens |
| 2004 | All residences become coeducational |
The table follows the Trinity College history page, apart from the charter date, which comes from Wikipedia.
The move to Hoskin Avenue
Trinity bought its Hoskin Avenue property in 1913, and Wikipedia says the First World War delayed construction. The college’s chronology gives the foundation stone date as June 4, 1923 and the formal opening and dedication as October 21, 1925, when the college moved to the St. George campus. The Queen Street building was torn down in the 1950s, with no exact year given. St. Hilda’s moved into its own residence on Devonshire Place in 1938. Other buildings on the page include the chapel (1955), the Larkin Building (January 15, 1961), and the John W. Graham Library (2000).
For other universities and colleges in the city, see the list of universities in Toronto. The provincial legislature that passed the university acts of this period is described in the article on Queen’s Park.
Frequently asked questions
Who founded Trinity College?
John Strachan, the first Anglican bishop of Toronto, led the effort after King’s College was made secular in 1849. The cornerstone was laid in 1851 and teaching began in January 1852.
When did Trinity join the University of Toronto?
The college chronology gives October 1, 1904. Wikipedia mentions a 1903 vote by the College Corporation; other pages give 1903, 1904, or later for the agreement and its effect.
Is Trinity a separate university?
Trinity is a college of the University of Toronto. It kept the right to grant degrees in divinity, as the Canadian Encyclopedia and Wikipedia describe. Current academic arrangements should be checked on the college’s own website.
Where was the first Trinity College building?
On Queen Street West, on a site bought in 1850. The college moved to Hoskin Avenue in 1925.
Last verified: October 2026
Sources
- Trinity College, University of Toronto, “History” (chronology from 1842 to 2004, including the Queen Street demolition in the 1950s).
- Strachan entry, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. IX (1850 pastoral letter, the £1,000 pledge, the 1850 trip to England, cornerstone on April 30, 1851, death on November 1, 1867).
- Alexander Neil Bethune entry, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. X (Cobourg institution opened January 1842 with 15 students).
- “University of Toronto,” The Canadian Encyclopedia (1827 charter, 1849 secularization, 1890 and 1904 federations, 1969 Toronto School of Theology).
- “Trinity College, Toronto,” Wikipedia, secondary: August 2, 1851 incorporation, July 16, 1852 charter, 1903 vote, Hoskin Avenue and the First World War.
- “Trinity University,” Lost Rivers (Toronto local history project), secondary, cited only for its August 1852 charter date.
Related reading
- John Strachan: teacher, rector of York and first bishop
- University of Toronto: history of the university
- Universities and colleges in Toronto
- Queen’s Park and the Legislative Building
- Toronto culture, sports and education (hub)
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 25). Trinity College, Toronto: History from 1852 to Federation. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/trinity-college-history
MLA: “Trinity College, Toronto: History from 1852 to Federation.” History of Toronto, 25 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/trinity-college-history. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “Trinity College, Toronto: History from 1852 to Federation.” Last modified October 25, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/blog/trinity-college-history.
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