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Bank of Upper Canada Building National Historic Site of Canada

252 Adelaide Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M5A, Canada

Formally Recognized: 1977/06/06

Facade of the Bank of Upper Canada Building showing the Neoclassical portico, consisting of: a raised podium; paired columns; a strongly defined entablature; and a second-storey balcony.; Parks Canada \ Parcs Canada, n.d.
Facade
Panoramic view of the Bank of Upper Canada Building (left) demonstrating the organization of the original structure, with seven bays on the façade and four bays along the sides, creating a broad but compact mass compatible with its surroundings, 2003.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, 2003.
Panorama
Corner view of the Bank of Upper Canada Building with its stone exterior, with rusticated masonry on the foundation and smooth-dressed stonework on the upper storeys, 1970s.; Parks Canada Agency / Agence Parcs Canada, 1970s.
Corner View

Other Name(s)

n/a

Links and documents

Construction Date(s)

1827/01/01 to 1834/01/01

Listed on the Canadian Register: 2025/10/25

Statement of Significance

Description of Historic Place

The Bank of Upper Canada building is an early 19th-century, two-and-a-half-storey, Neoclassical stone building. It is located on Adelaide Street in downtown Toronto. The formal recognition consists of the building on its property at the time of recognition.

Heritage Value

The Bank of Upper Canada Building was designated a national historic site in 1977. The reasons for designation are: the role played by the Bank of Upper Canada in the development of Upper Canada and in the rise of Toronto as the commercial centre of the colony and the design of the building, reflecting the image of conservative opulence favoured by financial institutions of the time.

The heritage value of this place resides in its role in Canada's early banking history as reflected in its restrained classicism and enduring materials.

A portico designed by architect John G. Howard and added in 1844 contributes to the restrained classicism of the building.

Source: Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada(HSMBC), Minute, November 1979; HSMBC, plaque text, 1984.

Character-Defining Elements

The key elements that relate to the heritage value of this site include:
-its rectangular massing and mansard roof;
-the organization of the original structure, with seven bays on the façade and four bays along the sides, creating a broad but compact mass;
-its stone exterior, with rusticated masonry on the foundation and smooth-dressed stonework on the upper storeys;
-its projecting three-bay entrance;
-its Neoclassical portico, consisting of: a raised podium; paired columns; a strongly defined entablature; and a second-storey balcony;
-the classical detailing of the entrance door, including: the stone arched frame; fluted pilasters on either side; the semi-rounded transom; rectangular sidelights, square-headed jamb; and simple moulded reveal.

Recognition

Jurisdiction

Federal

Recognition Authority

Government of Canada

Recognition Statute

Historic Sites and Monuments Act

Recognition Type

National Historic Site of Canada

Recognition Date

1977/06/06

Historical Information

Significant Date(s)

n/a

Theme - Category and Type

Developing Economies
Trade and Commerce
Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life
Architecture and Design

Function - Category and Type

Current

Historic

Commerce / Commercial Services
Bank or Stock Exchange

Architect / Designer

n/a

Builder

n/a

Additional Information

Location of Supporting Documentation

National Historic Sites Directorate, Documentation Centre, 5th Floor, Room 89, 25 Eddy Street, Gatineau, Quebec

Cross-Reference to Collection

Fed/Prov/Terr Identifier

530

Status

Published

Related Places

n/a

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