School House St. James’ Cathedral 1877

It was in April 1849 that a fire started in some outbuildings near what is now the intersection of Jarvis and King Streets and spread to envelop the entire block. An ember hit the church tower, and St. James’ Cathedral was completely destroyed. It was the second time that it had been destroyed by fire in just ten years, and this time it was decided to hold an international competition to choose a new design. Frederic Cumberland was the winner, and this year we celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening for services of that new Cathedral that has become such a landmark in this city. The St. Lawrence Hall opened in 1851 on the site of what had been the first City Hall and Market that were burned with the Cathedral in 1849, and Frederic Cumberland, in partnership with Thomas Ridout, and later William Storm, designed the seventh Post Office at 10 Toronto Street, the York County Courthouse on Adelaide, and St. James’ Cathedral – all within a block of each other, and all opening the same year, along with the parsonage for Little Trinity Church on King Street East.