Like last week’s post about old apartment houses, I’m again taking a step outside styleNorth’s mandate to indulge my own passion for heritage architecture. On Friday, I was among the lucky few to experience one of the final tours of Toronto’s “old” Don Jail before it undergoes a lengthy transformation into administrative headquarters for the Bridgepoint Health Foundation. Renowned firm ERA Architects will oversee the restoration of a portion of the original Toronto Jail (its proper name) but it will be years before the public is again permitted inside.
The Don Jail, so called because it overlooks the Don River, predates Canadian confederation. Designed by architect William Thomas and completed in 1864, cell blocks fan out from a demi-octagon where guards patrolled catwalks that looked into each incarceration corridor. The decorative wrought iron corbels, top pic, line the respective sides of the half-octagon: snakes, representing evil on the prisoner’s side and dragons, representing power, on the guards’ side.
Heavily barred windows allow light to penetrate the grim cell blocks where menacing graffiti attests to the prison’s dark history. Originally built to contain 270 prisoners, the Don eventually housed more than twice that many leading to revolts and human rights complaints. Prisoners were crammed two and sometimes three per-cell into windowless cages 8.5″ x 3″.
Conditions at the Don were so abysmal that the standard time-served allowance of two days for each day served was increased to three days for every day spent in this brutal facility. Originally built with no electricity or running water, most cells lacked even a toilet.
A newer, adjacent Toronto Jail was built in 1958 and the original “old” prison, seen below in a photograph from 1860, was closed in 1977, the year after capital punishment was officially abolished in Canada.
Hangings took place at the old prison in a rear outdoor courtyard until an interior gallows was built in 1908. The shadow of that gallows is visible today (below) although the apparatus has been dismantled. Our tour guide suggested that the structure will be reassembled by the time the prison restoration is complete in late 2012 or early 2013. Similarly, the skylight and glass floor in the central rotunda, which allowed light to penetrate into the bowels of the facility, will also be restored.
September 9th, 2009 at 11:39 am
those line ups at doors open were just too long. thanks for the peek.
September 9th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
They really have an opportunity to do something fantastic with this building. Hopefully there will be some elements which are architecturally sympathetic to the originals. I also hope they retain some of the features, for example the corbels (I didn’t know that’s what they’re called!), which are truly works of art. (Don’t love the symbolism though.) I wonder if they’ll have any sort of salvage sale?
September 10th, 2009 at 10:36 am
I discovered this website a couple of months ago and read it every day (and on the days I don’t read it I catch up with past days) and am really enjoying it. You have asked for commentary so here goes. I am not a particular fan of this post about the Don Jail. While I understand your interest in its old heritage and interesting architecture I do not see any relation to design or decor or anything of that nature (especially the photo of where the gallows used to be). I would love to see more house tours, cheap places to get great things…that sort of thing. I am a design junkie and this post does not fit the bill by any stretch of the imagination. But in general, keep up the good work!
September 10th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Hi Alena,
Thanks for the feedback. I agree that the connection to decorating is tenuous. When I encounter a questionable subject like this I just figure, hey, it’s MY blog and I really need to follow my interests and be true to my enthusiasm. I just hope readers like you who don’t share my interest will come back and try me again and that when you do, I’ll have a gorgeous post up that puts all your doubts to rest.
I, too, wish I had more house tours to post, so please, dear readers, send me some candidates!
September 10th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
I have to disagree with you Alena. Because the Don Jail was built in 1864 it’s a very important building and a big part of Toronto’s architectural history. I think that architecture and interior design go hand and hand – the good and the bad.
Think of this post as the ‘Before shot’. We’ll just have to wait for the ‘After shot’ following ERA Architects’ transformation.
And who doesn’t love a good before and after story?
September 17th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
recently toured the don jail having been their for a night in 1963 it brought back old memories . I will never forget this building.It has such a history .read the book last to die by robert hoshowsky . this building to me has a soul I hope it is prperly looked after. I don,t believe most people could imagine being locked in those small cells at night.Unforgettable I have a strange love for this place.