Toronto's First Post Office (Fourth York Post Office)

Still standing at 260 Adelaide Street east, the James Scott Howard house became on of two post offices in the newly incorporated City of Toronto. It is of late Georgian architecture with distinctive set of two front doors - one for the post office, and one for the private residence of the postmaster.

The house was completed in 1832 or 1833 and became a post office in 1836 where James Scott Howard served as the first postmaster. It was then leased by De La Salle private boys school for a while, the Christie, Brown and Company biscuit factory across the street, then in 1925 it was converted to cold storage for United Farmer's Co-Operative.

It was slated for demolition, but the three buildings along the block were purchased by Sheldon and Judith Godfrey for restoration when it was discovered as the old post office.

It has been protected under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act since 1975, was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1980, and enjoys an Ontario Heritage Foundation Easement Agreement since 2015.

List of all subjects. You can also see all the historic photos for a given neighbourhood. We also have a list of all the photos arranged by date.

And you can also go up a level to see the other photos we've put under the category of Other_Historic_Toronto_Buildings photos.

1870		James Scott Howard house, Adelaide Street East 154 years ago - St. Lawrence - 1870 Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1912		James Scott Howard house - Toronto's first post office, Adelaide Street East 112 years ago - St. Lawrence - 1912 Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1980		James Scott Howard house - Toronto's first post office - revealed - with the windows rounded and bricked up 44 years ago - St. Lawrence - Tuesday, September 23, 1980 Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1984		James Scott Howard house - Old postal boxes in the restored antique Post Office on Adelaide Street east 40 years ago - St. Lawrence - Tuesday, February 21, 1984 Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)
1987		First post office Commemorated with new stamp and a replica of an 1844 Royal mail stage coach stands outside Toronto's first post office 37 years ago - St. Lawrence - Monday, February 16, 1987 Link to archive record - Map location (From the Toronto Public Library)