Fort York in Toronto, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

North and South Soldiers' Barracks

1815

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022

1. North and South Soldiers' Barracks Marker

Inscription. In 1815 each of these buildings housed 100 people: soldiers, their wives and their children. In the 1820s, the army halved the number of occupants to improve living conditions. By the 1860s, only three men and their families lived in each room. After 1870, each room became a small apartment for one soldier and his family. Some rooms saw other uses, such as the garrison school.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Forts and Castles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1815.

Location. 43° 38.331′ N, 79° 24.255′ W. Marker is in Toronto, Ontario. It is in Fort York. Marker can be reached from Fort York Boulevard, 0.2 kilometers north of Lake Shore Boulevard West. The marker is located along the interpretive walkway at Fort York National Historic Site, directly in front of the subject barracks. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 250 Fort York Boulevard, Toronto ON M5V 3K9, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Government House (within shouting distance of this marker); Officers' Brick Barracks and Mess Establishment (within shouting distance of this marker); Stone Magazine (within shouting distance of this marker); Well and Well House (within shouting distance of this marker); Fort York / Le Fort York

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(within shouting distance of this marker); The Battle of York 1813 (within shouting distance of this marker); Officers' Blue Barracks (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Circular, or Government House, Battery (about 120 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Toronto.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort York National Historic Site

Also see . . . Fort York National Historic Site.

Excerpt:
The Fort York National Historic Site was built in 1793 and is the birthplace of urban Toronto. The Fort served as the city’s primary harbour defence between the 1790s and the 1880s and was the home of a military garrison until the 1930s. Fort York is where British soldiers, First Nations warriors and Upper Canadian militiamen stood together against the United States and its mission to capture Toronto in the War of 1812. The bloody Battle of York that ensued was a dark and dramatic moment in the history of the city.

(Submitted on December 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Marker detail: Barracks Diagram image. Click for full size.

2. Marker detail: Barracks Diagram

To improve security, no windows were installed on the wall facing the fort’s exterior defences.

Marker detail: Infantry from the 1820s & 1860s image. Click for full size.

Courtesy City of Toronto Museum Services

3. Marker detail: Infantry from the 1820s & 1860s

Infantry from the 1820s (left) and 1860s (right): the drummers, privates, corporals and sergeants who lived in these barracks typically came from the lowest levels of British and Canadian society. (Prints from army drill manuals, 1828 and 1867.)

Marker detail: South Soldiers’ Barracks image. Click for full size.

Toronto Public Library, T-11619

4. Marker detail: South Soldiers’ Barracks

The South Soldiers’ Barracks when it housed three soldiers and their families in three small apartments. (Photograph by Frank Yeigh, 1903.)

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022

5. North and South Soldiers' Barracks Marker

Looking northwest. The marker is located on the east side of the barracks, near the south end.

Soldiers’ Barracks Interior image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022

6. Soldiers’ Barracks Interior

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022

7. Soldiers’ Barracks Interior

North and South Soldiers' Barracks image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, May 28, 2022

8. North and South Soldiers' Barracks

Credits. This page was last revised on December 11, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 58 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. submitted on December 10, 2023, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.