Click on this map for a full-size annotated version.
This is “Barclay, Clark & Co.’s 1893 Bird’s Eye View Chromolithograph” – a detailed, photo-like, colour drawing of Toronto at the end of the 19th century. Some artistic license emphasizes important landmarks, and includes not-yet-completed buildings, while blurring out less interesting regions.
I saw a full-size print of this 130-year-old map hanging at the Sheraton Centre in downtown Toronto, and decided to download a digital copy and annotate it. Enjoy learning about the history of the city using a fun and interactive interface!
Over 400 past and present Toronto landmarks!
I particularly like this map for several reasons:
- This is Toronto’s 100th anniversary map!
- It is incredibly detailed relative to its age. There is so much to discover!
- Toronto has few surviving structures from the 18th century, and this map includes structures built as late as 1899. Thus, virtually all structures found on this map are 19th century, while most not found on this map are 20th century or later. What a great memory heuristic!
- There is also conveniently a Goad’s 1893 Atlas from exactly the same year to corroborate source material:
Additional useful resources:
List of annotated landmarks (for SEO purposes):
- City Hall
- First Parliament site
- Ontario Parliament Building
- Ontario Legislative Building
- Government House
- St. Paul’s Hall
- Adelaide Street Court House
- Police Court
- Garrison Common
- Fort York
- Stanley Barracks – Officers’ Quarters
- Toronto Armories
- Drill Shed
- Asylum for the Insane
- Toronto Central Prison
- Don Jail
- Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women
- Victoria Hospital for Sick Children
- Toronto General Hospital
- Isolation Hospital
- St. Joseph’s – Sunnyside Orphanage
- House of Providence
- House of Industry
- Salvation Army Temple
- Toronto Public Library
- Great Fire of 1904
- Central Fire Station
- Fire Hall No 3
- Fire Hall No 4
- Fire Hall No 6
- Fire Hall No 8
- Fire Hall No 9
- 4th General Post Office
- 7th General Post Office
- 8th General Post Office
- Custom House
- University of Toronto – St. George campus
- University College
- Victoria University
- St. Michael’s College
- Protestant Episcopal Divinity School
- Wycliffe College
- Knox College
- The Little Red Skulehouse
- University Library
- Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory
- Stewart Building
- McMaster Hall
- Trinity College
- Upper Canada College – Russell Square campus
- Upper Canada College – Deer Park campus
- Toronto Normal School
- Jarvis Collegiate Institute
- Parkdale Collegiate Institute
- De La Salle College
- Wykeham Hall
- Exhibition Place
- Crystal Palace
- Horse Ring
- Grandstand
- Scadding Cabin
- Fort Rouillé Monument
- Cathedral Church of St. James
- Little Trinity Anglican Church
- Church of the Holy Trinity
- St. George the Martyr Anglican Church
- Church of the Ascension
- St. John’s Garrison Church
- St. Margaret’s Anglican Church
- St. Bartholomew’s Church
- St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica
- St. Paul’s Basilica
- St. Mary’s Church
- Metropolitan Wesleyan Methodist Church
- Bathurst Street Wesleyan Methodist Church
- Sherbourne Street Methodist Church
- Elm Street Methodist Church
- St. Andrew’s Church
- St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church
- Knox Church
- Erskine Presbyterian Church
- Parkdale Presbyterian Church
- Queen Street East Presbyterian Church
- Emmanuel Presbyterian Church
- St. Stephen-in-the-Fields Anglican Church
- Zion Congregational Church
- College Street Baptist Church
- Beverley Street Baptist Church
- Holy Blossom Temple
- St. Joseph’s Convent
- Loretto Abbey
- Mount Pleasant Cemetery
- St. James Cemetery
- Toronto Necropolis
- Victoria Square
- Strachan Avenue Military Burying Ground
- Pape Avenue Cemetery
- St. John’s Norway Cemetery
- Government Breakwater
- Lake Ontario
- Don River
- Humber River
- Garrison Creek
- Ashbridge’s Bay
- Ashbridges Bay Marsh
- Fisherman’s Island
- High Park
- Allan Gardens
- Original Town of York
- The Ward
- Kensington
- Baby Point
- Withrow Archaeological Site
- Toronto Water Works
- Sunnyside Water Works
- Consumers’ Gas – Station A
- Consumers’ Gas – Purifying House No 2
- Consumers’ Gas Company Building
- Toronto Electric Light Company
- Terauley Street Substation
- Elias Rogers Coal & Wood Co. yard
- Union Station
- Union Station entrance
- City Hall Station
- Canadian Pacific Railway – Don Station
- Railway Lands
- Canadian Pacific Railway – Parkdale Yard
- Northern Railway – Bathurst Yard
- The Grand Trunk Railway Freight Depot
- Toronto Belt Line – Don Loop
- Northern Railway office
- Grand Trunk Railway – Domed Roundhouse
- Grand Trunk Railway Bridge
- The Queen Street Subway
- Queen Street East Bridge
- Eastern Avenue Bridge
- Liberty Street
- Toronto Railway – Frederick Stables
- Toronto Railway – car shops
- Toronto Railway – George Stables
- Shedden Company Stables
- Yonge Street Wharf
- Queen’s Wharf Lighthouse
- Polson Iron Works shipyard
- Bathurst Street Wharf shipyards
- Aykroyd Brothers Boat Works
- St. Lawrence Hall
- St. Lawrence Market North
- New Market House
- St. Patrick’s Market
- St. Andrew’s Market Hall
- Board of Trade
- Osgoode Hall
- CPSO
- Gooderham & Worts – Distillery District
- Gooderham & Worts – Grain Elevator
- Gooderham Building
- Toronto Brewing and Malting Co.
- Don Brewery – Lager Building
- Dominion Brewery
- O’Keefe Brewery
- Todmorden Mills
- Royal Dominion Flour Mills
- Old Mill ruins
- William Davies Company pork packing plant
- Western Cattle Market
- Confederation Life Building
- Canada Life Assurance Company
- British America Assurance Company
- Temple Building
- Bank of Upper Canada
- Bank of British North America
- Home Savings and Loan Company
- Bank of Toronto
- Dominion Bank
- Canadian Bank of Commerce
- Molsons Bank
- Bank of Montreal
- Quebec Bank
- Traders Bank of Canada
- Christie Sand Pits
- Don Valley Brick Works
- Massey-Harris Company – Toronto Works
- Massey-Harris Head Office
- Doty’s Machine and Engine Works
- John Abell Engine and Machine Works
- John Inglis and Sons
- Rice Lewis & Son
- Toronto Silver Plate Company
- Millichamp Building
- Christie, Brown & Company
- Robertson Brothers Confections
- John B. Smith & Sons yard
- John B. Smith & Sons
- Greey’s Mill Furnishing Works
- Cobban Manufacturing Company
- E. & C. Gurney Stove Foundry
- Standard Woollen Mills
- T. Eaton Company
- Robert Simpson Company
- Yonge Street Arcade
- Mammoth House
- Golden Lion
- Gordon Mackay and Company
- The Mail Building
- Globe Building
- Eby, Blain & Co. Wholesale Grocers
- Dominion Saw & Lead Works
- Langmuir Manufacturing Company
- Toronto Safe Works
- Toronto Carpet Factory
- H.W. Petrie’s Machine Depot
- Warwick Brothers & Rutter
- Queen’s Hotel
- Gladstone Hotel
- Dingman’s Hall
- Arlington Hotel
- Little York Hotel
- Black Horse Hotel
- Albion Hotel
- Nealon House
- Cherry Street Hotel
- Ocean House Hotel
- Dominion Hotel
- Walker House Hotel
- Palmer House Hotel
- Rossin House Hotel
- Wheatsheaf Tavern
- Black Bull Tavern
- Palace Arms Hotel
- Woodbine Race Course
- Sunlight Park
- Stark’s Athletic and Shooting Grounds
- Mutual Street Rink
- Argonaut Rowing Club
- Royal Canadian Yacht Club
- Cyclorama
- Grand Opera House
- Massey Hall
- Shaftesbury Hall
- YWCA
- St. George’s Hall
- The Great Hall
- Toronto Club
- Victoria Row
- Beard Building
- York Chambers
- Daniel Brooke Building
- Thomas Thompson Building
- Stark Block
- Wellington Buildings
- Corner Store
- The Grange
- Campbell House
- Spadina House
- Mackenzie House
- Henry Scadding House
- Quetton St. George house
- John Cox Cottage