TOUR: Art, Architecture and Restoration of Old City Hall

Old City Hall is a block-sized building designed to fit a city council chamber, several courts and many offices around a large, central courtyard.

When opened in 1899, it was the second largest municipal building in North America after Philadelphia's. It was designed by Toronto architect E. J. Lennox in the "Richardson Romanesque" style developed by American architect H. H. Richardson. Arguably the finest example of this style is the Allegheny Country Courthouse in Pittsburgh, completed in 1888. Lennox's version has British-Canadian flourishes like the fearsome, crowned lion by the front doors.

It took 10 years to build OCH out of sandstone from the Credit River valley, grey stone from near Orangeville and brown stone from New Brunswick. The workmanship in stone, wood, metal, tile, paint and glass is outstanding. Only an unfixed rip in a faux "marble" column reveals some clever fakery.

See also the blog post: PROJECTS: Restoring Murals and Ceilings