Looking northwest towards the corner of Queen St E and Sumach St in the Corktown neighbourhood of Toronto.
The archive photo features the Dominion Hotel at 500 Queen St E. Built between 1889 and 1890, the hotel was originally part of the neighbouring Dominion Brewery, today known as Dominion Square, which was founded by Robert Davies in the 1870s.
The Dominion Hotel was designed by architect David Roberts Jr. and was originally four stories tall. At some point, a fire damaged the upper part of the building, leading to several changes, including the removal of the top floor and the top of the corner tower.
In 2024, ERA Architects completed a redesign of the storefront inspired by the building’s original design. They also rehabilitated the stone and masonry above. Today, the storefront of the heritage-designated building is home to a restaurant.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- The Toronto World Newspaper Archives: Apr 12, 1890, pg 1
- ERA Architects: The Historic Dominion Hotel
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory, courtesy of Toronto Public Library
