Daniel Brooke Building

The Daniel Brooke Building

Daniel Brooke Building is a historic building of Toronto, Canada located at Jarvis and King Streets. Built in 1833 for owners Daniel Brooke and John Murchison, it is one of the last remaining buildings of the old Town of York. It was one of only a handful of buildings in the part of town to survive the Toronto Fire of 1849.

The Georgian-style building has been home to a number of commercial enterprises. It was the site of James Austin and Patrick Foy's grocery store. Austin's first venture in what would eventually make him one of Canada's most prominent 19th century business leaders. The building still has a plaque commemorating the business.

In the twentieth century the neighbourhood became one of Toronto's poorest. For almost fifty years, until 1987, the lower level was home to the Sportsman's Shop, a Toronto icon that mostly sold army/navy surplus. The upper levels were mostly abandoned, often becoming temporary homes to squatters. In the 1980s a massive public development project transformed the St. Lawrence neighbourhood and it became one of the trendiest parts of the city. The Daniel Brooke Building, and the entire block around it, was redeveloped into a luxury condo project named King George Properties.

References

• Torontohistory.org - Daniel Brooke Building
• Hauch, Valerie. "This condo will share a site with history." Toronto Star. Toronto, Ont.: Jul 25, 1998. pg. 1

Coordinates: 43°39′02″N 79°22′18″W / 43.650657°N 79.371739°W / 43.650657; -79.371739