National Historic Site of Canada

Bank of Upper Canada Building National Historic Site of Canada

Toronto, Ontario

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.

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.

Photo: Parks Canada \ Parcs Canada, n.d.

Built
1827–1834
Recognized
1977
By
Government of Canada

The register’s text, word for word

Description

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.

SourceHistoric 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.

End of the register’s text

Location

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

43.65182° N, 79.37088° W

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From the Canadian Register of Historic Places, as last updated on December 12, 2025. The register’s text is shown word for word.