Six historic buildings are covered here, built between about 1817 and 1913 and located along or near College Street, Dundas Street West, and Queen Street West in Toronto. Each was checked against Canada’s Historic Places, the Ontario Heritage Act e-Register, the City of Toronto, the Ontario Heritage Trust, or the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Where records disagree, both versions are shown.
Summary table
| Building | Built | Architect or builder | Location | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Grange | 1817 to 1818 (Parks Canada); 1817 to 1820 (City of Toronto report) | Built for D’Arcy Boulton Jr.; no builder named by Parks Canada | 317 Dundas Street West | National Historic Site since June 8, 1970; part of the Art Gallery of Ontario |
| Osgoode Hall | 1829 to 1832; additions 1844 to 1846 and 1857 | John Ewart with W.W. Baldwin; Henry Bowyer Lane; Cumberland and Storm | 130 Queen Street West | National Historic Site since November 15, 1979; still a court and Law Society building |
| Victoria Hospital for Sick Children (former) | Opened 1892 (plaque) or dated 1893 (by-law) | Darling and Curry (plaque); Darling and Pearson (by-law) | 55 to 67 College Street | Designated by City by-law on November 26, 1975 |
| Ontario Legislative Building | 1886 to 1892; opened April 4, 1893 | Richard A. Waite | Queen’s Park | Seat of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario; provincial plaque unveiled 1956 |
| Old City Hall | 1889 to 1899 | E.J. Lennox | 60 Queen Street West | National Historic Site and designated by By-law 332-86; courthouse until April 2025 |
| Toronto General Hospital, College Street Wing | Completed 1913 | Darling and Pearson | 101 College Street | Designated by By-law 1363-2007 on December 13, 2007; preserved within the MaRS site |
The Grange
Parks Canada states that the house at 317 Dundas Street West was built for D’Arcy Boulton Jr. and recognizes it as one of the few surviving residential estates of prominent citizens of the former town of York. The City of Toronto’s heritage report extends the construction period to 1820. The earlier plaque text records that the house passed to the Art Museum of Toronto in 1911 and was restored to the period 1835 to 1840.
Osgoode Hall
Canada’s Historic Places credits John Ewart, assisted by W.W. Baldwin, with the original 1829 to 1832 building. Henry Bowyer Lane designed the west and central portions of 1844 to 1846, and Cumberland and Storm rebuilt the center section; Historic Places dates their work to 1857, while the Ontario plaque text gives 1857 to 1860. The register spells the architect’s middle name “Bower.” The site has served as the headquarters of the Law Society of Upper Canada since 1832 and as a courthouse since 1846, and it is significant for the 1861 John Anderson case, which set a precedent against returning refugees from slavery to the United States.
Victoria Hospital for Sick Children
This is the building with the clearest conflict in the record. The Toronto Historical Board plaque says Darling and Curry designed it and that it opened in May 1892 as the first hospital in Canada designed exclusively for pediatrics. The 1975 by-law, passed under the Ontario Heritage Act, gives 1893 and names Darling and Pearson, and describes it as an early example of the high-roofed Chateau style. The by-law notes that the building later held Ontario Government offices. Secondary sources report later use as a blood donation center, but that was not confirmed on an official page and is not listed as current status.
Ontario Legislative Building
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario states that a design competition was launched in 1880, that Richard A. Waite, a British-born architect who had been a judge of the unsuccessful competition, submitted plans that were accepted, and that construction began in 1886. The building opened officially on April 4, 1893. Its Richardson Romanesque exterior is pink sandstone from the Credit Valley. No national or municipal designation for the building itself was found in the sources checked, so none is claimed.
Old City Hall
Designed by Edward James Lennox and built from 1889 to 1899, Old City Hall served as Toronto’s city hall until 1965. The Ontario Heritage Trust register records designation under Ontario Heritage Act By-law 332-86, enacted on May 5, 1986, and federal National Historic Site status. The City of Toronto dates the National Historic Site designation to 1989, while another reference work gives 1984, so the year should be confirmed in the federal directory. The City reports that it operated as a provincial courthouse until April 2025.
Toronto General Hospital, College Street Wing
By-law 1363-2007 states that records indicate the complex was completed in 1913 and attributes the wing to Darling and Pearson in the Beaux-Arts style. Later additions dating to 1927 have been demolished, and the designated portions were preserved during the MaRS redevelopment. The wing was where early medical research took place, including the development of insulin as a treatment for diabetes.
How the list was checked
Names, years, and architects come from the registers named above, not from plaque wording alone. Any detail that could not be confirmed on an official page, such as the heritage status of the Legislative Building, is stated as unconfirmed or omitted.
Frequently asked questions
Which of these buildings are National Historic Sites?
The Grange (June 8, 1970), Osgoode Hall (November 15, 1979), and Old City Hall. The City of Toronto gives 1989 as the year for Old City Hall.
Who designed the Hospital for Sick Children building on College Street?
Sources disagree. The Toronto Historical Board plaque names Darling and Curry, and the 1975 City by-law names Darling and Pearson.
Is Old City Hall open to the public?
The City of Toronto states that it is open to visitors, hosts events, and can be booked for civil weddings.
Why are other buildings from the original index not listed?
The remaining entries have not yet been verified against official records, so they are excluded until they are.
Related reading
- Historic buildings section index
- Toronto’s history in brief
- Toronto church listings
- Timeline of the city’s growth
- Where the name Toronto comes from
Sources
- Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations: The Grange
- Canada’s Historic Places: Osgoode Hall
- City of Toronto, the 1975 by-law for the Victoria Hospital for Sick Children and By-law 1363-2007 (101 College Street)
- Ontario Heritage Trust, Old City Hall register record
- City of Toronto, Old City Hall visitor information
- Legislative Assembly of Ontario, timeline and historical overview
Last verified: October 2026
Cite this page
APA: History of Toronto. (2026, October 23). Historic Buildings of Toronto: Verified Facts on Six Landmarks. https://historyoftoronto.ca/history/buildings1
MLA: “Historic Buildings of Toronto: Verified Facts on Six Landmarks.” History of Toronto, 23 Oct. 2026, https://historyoftoronto.ca/history/buildings1. Accessed .
Chicago: History of Toronto. “Historic Buildings of Toronto: Verified Facts on Six Landmarks.” Last modified October 23, 2026. https://historyoftoronto.ca/history/buildings1.
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