Military heritage facility.
Details of Site Location: Located on the east bank of Garrison Creek at the base line that became Queen Street, at the south end of Park Lot 21.
Boundary History: Bounded on the west by the Garrison ravine and Creek, on the south by Lot/Queen Street, the blockhouse was well west of the future Bathurst Street and not far from Farr’s Brewery. Probably built without palisades, the blockhouse is estimated to have occupied about an acre.
Current Use of Property: Commercial buildings with apartments overhead in most cases.
Historical Description: Less is known about this blockhouse than is the case with others. From the Bonnycastle map of 1833, it is evident that the blockhouse had been built in time for the War of 1812, and was not in military use by the time that Bonnycastle drew his map. The caption on the map states simply: “Blockhouse During War.” A clearly defined path winds its way along the east bank of the Garrison Creek northward from the path along the lakeshore connecting the town to Fort York; from this it may be safely assumed that this blockhouse had considerable importance. This blockhouse is not to be confused with another to the south, which was actually in the ravine, near to the military hospital there.
Relative Importance: The importance of blockhouses in the area of Fort York cannot be overrated, but the military use of this one was short lived, as the Town of York/Toronto spread westwards earlier than it spread to the north. Development of housing and commercial establishments along Queen in the 1860s and ’70s will have obliterated all trace of the blockhouse.
Planning Implications: In planning for the future, further research must be done in Ottawa and in London, England, to determine if there is more to be learned about this and other blockhouses. The locations of all the early ones should have modest plaques, and a publication in due course about all of them is needed.
Reference Sources: R.H. Bonnycastle, Royal Engineers, No. 1 Plan of the Town and Harbour of York, Upper Canada, 1833.
Acknowledgements: Maps Project.