Looking northeast along King St E from Jarvis St in the Old Town, St Lawrence neighbourhood of Toronto.
A couple of notable buildings appear in both photos, including the Daniel Brooke Building, which is partially visible in the left foreground. This Georgian-style commercial building was constructed in 1833. Over the years, it has housed a variety of businesses, including wholesale and grocery shops, a saddlery and carriage-harness maker, tailors, a dry goods store, an army surplus store, and the Sportsman’s Shop. In the late 1980s, new owners restored the historic building to its original condition. Since then, it has been home to a range of upscale shops and businesses.
The other structure in both photos is the eight-storey red-brick building in the centre-right background. Originally part of the Christie, Brown & Company factory, it was built in 1914 as an addition to serve as the company’s office and additional factory space. In 1971, George Brown College acquired the cookie company’s complex of buildings, and today, the site is the college’s St. James Campus.
Then and Now
SOURCE
- City of Toronto Heritage Register
- Heritage Toronto
- Ontario Heritage Trust
- Biographical Dictionary of Architects in Canada
- Heritage Toronto: Daniel Brooke Building plaque
- Toronto Star Newspaper Archives: Jul 24, 1987, pg C1
- Photo: Denise Marie for TorontoJourney416
- Vintage Photo: City of Toronto Archives
- City of Toronto: Maps
- Toronto City Directory, courtesy of Toronto Public Library
