Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques

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The Governor's House at the Don Jail

Photos by Alan L Brown - Posted June, 2016

Here on the Bridgepoint Hospital site on a walkway just north of Gerrard Street, west of Broadview Avenue, can be found this plaque. Here's what it says:

Coordinates: 43.665467 -79.353391

Click here for a larger map

George L. Allen was the first governor of the Don Jail. At first, the governor lived in an administrative wing of the jail itself.

In 1888, architect Charles Mancel Willmot (1855-1936) renovated the jail to create more cells, infirmary space, and laundry facilities. He designed a separate family residence at 562 Gerrard Street East for the governor at the time, John Green. It was designed in the Queen Anne Revival style. This style is characterized by its asymmetrical façade, cross-gable roof, decorative brick patterns, and simple Victorian woodwork.

This house remained a residence until 1973. After that, the Ministry of Correctional Services used it to administer programs. It became the Toronto offices of the John Howard Society, which advocates for justice in the prison system and provides support services to people in conflict with the law.

In 2012 the house was renovated by the Phillip Aziz Centre. It is now a children's hospice called Emily's House.

Related Toronto plaque
The Don Jail 1859-1864

Here is a map and a list of all the plaques on the Bridgepoint Hospital site. Links to the plaques can be found below.
Bridgepoint Site Map
Bridgepoint Plaque List

Links to plaques on the Bridgepoint Hospital site
History of the Bridgepoint Hospital Site
Doctors & Nurses
The Evolution of Healthcare Services
The Exercise Yards at the Don Jail
The Gate House at the Don Jail
The Landscape: Scadding's Property
Life: A Mosaic Tile Mural
Riverdale Hospital

More
Institutional Buildings

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