Historic photos from around Distillery District, TorontoThe Distillery District is centred around the Gooderham & Worts Distillery which was in continuous production for 153 years - from 1837 to 1990. In 1831 James Worts emigrated to Canada and started a grist mill on the site. He was joined by his brother-in-law William Gooderham, and in 1837 they add a distillery. Eventually they had a flourmill, their own wharf, an icehouse, and a dairy.It remains one of the largest and best preserved set of Victorian-era industrial architecture in North America. For more information, see the Distillery District Heritage webpage
List of all areas in Toronto or take a look at the historic photos by date. New! You can now access the photos by street address A subset of the photos have also been arranged by subject. |
| 1834 |  | General View of Toronto (featuring the windmill of Worts and Gooderham, Millers) 191 years ago - 1834 - Distillery District Link to archive record - Map location |
| 1887 |  | Gooderham and Worts distillery in the late 1880s 138 years ago - 1887 - Distillery District at 51 Mills Street Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1887 | | Gooderham and Worts distillery in the late 1880s 138 years ago - 1887 - Distillery District at 51 Mills Street Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1907 |  | Parliament St., looking north across Mill St. and the railway crossing 118 years ago - 1907 - Distillery District Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1907 |  | Parliament St., looking south across Mill St. 118 years ago - 1907 - Distillery District Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1907 |  | Cherry St., looking north from n. of Mill St., across C.P.R. tracks towards Front St. E. 118 years ago - 1907 - Distillery District Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1912 |  | Old houses - northwest corner of Trinity and Fronts Streets 113 years ago - Saturday, February 3, 1912 - Distillery District at 346 Front Street East Max temp: -7.2°C - Min temp: -15.0°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1916 | | Original staff of British Acetones 109 years ago - Thursday, November 30, 1916 - Distillery District at 19 Trinity Street (approximately) Max temp: 9.4°C - Min temp: 1.7°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1917 |  | Condemned Houses - Southeast corner of Eastern Avenue and Trinity Street 108 years ago - Friday, November 9, 1917 - Distillery District at 43 Eastern Ave Max temp: 12.2°C - Min temp: -1.7°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1918 |  | In Flanders Field - parade float - Victory Loan Parade, November 11th, 1918 107 years ago - Monday, November 11, 1918 - Distillery District Max temp: 7.8°C - Min temp: 3.3°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1918 | | Ground floor mill showing machinery for driving millstones and rolls 107 years ago - Tuesday, November 12, 1918 - Distillery District at 19 Trinity Street (approximately) Max temp: 8.9°C - Min temp: 2.8°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1918 | | Groundfloor mill, showing machinery for driving millstones and rools 107 years ago - Tuesday, November 12, 1918 - Distillery District at 19 Trinity Street (approximately) Max temp: 8.9°C - Min temp: 2.8°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1918 |  | View looking south on Trinity Street, showing to the right the M. E. K. still and tank houses 107 years ago - Tuesday, November 19, 1918 - Distillery District at 55 Trinity Street n.e. corner at Mill Street Max temp: 9.4°C - Min temp: 5.0°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1918 |  | View of the plant from the west, showing the butyl tank, capacity 1.4 million gallons; boiler house, with distillery and mill in the distance 107 years ago - Thursday, November 21, 1918 - Distillery District at 19 Trinity Street (approximately) Max temp: 5.6°C - Min temp: 1.7°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1954 |  | Cherry St. Hotel, then Eastern Star Hotel ca 1904, with Tippet Richardson sign (Categorized under: Hotels ) 71 years ago - 1954 - Distillery District at 453 Front Street East Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library) |
| 1980 | | Gooderham and Worts Distillery - signage on south side of building (Categorized under: Ornamental gate ) 45 years ago - Wednesday, March 12, 1980 - Distillery District at 51 Mill Street Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1981 |  | Palace Street School, Canary Restaurant, Cherry Street Hotel (Categorized under: Hotels --- Schools ) 44 years ago - Monday, May 18, 1981 - Distillery District at 453 Front Street East Max temp: 14.8°C - Min temp: 4.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From Collations Flickr stream) |
| 1981 |  | Cherry St, ws, south of Front St E. One of the last originally residential structures left by 'collations' Patrick Cummins 44 years ago - Monday, May 18, 1981 - Distillery District Max temp: 14.8°C - Min temp: 4.2°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From Collations Flickr stream) |
| 1982 | | Cherry St. Hotel - as the Canary Restaurant (previously Eastern Start Hotel) 43 years ago - 1982 - Distillery District at 453 Front Street East Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |
| 1983 |  | Mill St looking west, from east of Trinity St. to the CN Tower 42 years ago - Wednesday, July 13, 1983 - Distillery District at 60 Mill Street Max temp: 29.5°C - Min temp: 18.3°C (weather details) Link to archive record - Map location (From Collations Flickr stream) |
| 1995 | | Barbwire gate for a movie set - Distillery District 30 years ago - 1995 - Distillery District Link to archive record - Map location (From the City of Toronto Archives) |