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For Immediate Release
May. 10, 2006, 09:48 a.m.

City Hall Open For Tours Starting May 15

Tour Guide Program Celebrates 10th Anniversary

On Monday May 15 at 10 a.m., the popular Kingston City Hall Tour Guide Program begins its 10th anniversary year of operation.

The City of Kingston welcomes back the tour guides, who act as front line ambassadors to our community by leading tours of Kingston City Hall – one of the finest 19th century buildings in Canada and a National Historic Site. City Hall is located at 216 Ontario Street facing Kingston’s beautiful waterfront.

Tours operate Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday May 15 through to mid October. City Hall will also be open for tours on Canada Day - July 1, 2006, plus Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. throughout July and August. Educational and special request tours are available year round by contacting 613-546-4291, extension 1520.

Kingston residents and visitors to Kingston are invited to take a City Hall tour this summer and learn more about Kingston's fascinating history.

KINGSTON CITY HALL HISTORY

  1. June 15, 1842, the town of Kingston publicized a competition for architects and builders for the design for a 'Town Hall and Market'. The probable cost of construction was set at 10,000 pounds.
  2. The design of the government architect George Browne (31 years old) was selected from the twelve submissions received from the contest.
  3. The building was completed in December 1844, at a final cost slightly in excess of 25,000 pounds. The increased cost was due to additions and changes from the competition submission.
  4. The original design of City Hall had a hemispherical dome with no clock faces or belfry. The belfry and clock were housed in a large square end block that originally extended the market wing all the way to King Street. The market wing end block was destroyed in a fire on January 10, 1865. The original clock that had been given jointly by John Counter and John A. Macdonald was moved to the main dome.
  5. The architect George Browne also designed the Mowatt Building, the Victoria and Gray Trust Building, the S&R Department Store, the Presbyterian Manse and Rockwood Villa.
  6. The Governor General Sir Charles Metcalf laid the City Hall corner stone June 5, 1843.
  7. Past tenants of City Hall include the Market Vendors, the Board of Trade, the Post Office, the Customs House, the Bank of British North America, the Mechanics Institute, the Orange Lodge, the Masons, the Merchants Exchange, A&D Shaw Dry Goods, various church groups, a saloon and some residential tenants.
  8. In June 1891, Sir John A. Macdonald's body lay in state in what is now Memorial Hall.
  9. In 1908 the cupola on top of the dome and part of the dome burned, the cupola was rebuilt in May 1909 and the new Seth Thomas clock and a new bell was installed. The 1908 clock and bell are the current clock and bell that are present in the dome today.
  10. In 2002 a new copper roof and clock tower reconstruction commenced along with phase-one of the masonry restoration. All four clocks were removed so that the stained glass faces could be repaired.

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Media contact information:
Elizabeth Cashman, Office of the Mayor: (613) 546-4291, ext. 1260 or Brigitte McConnell, Lead Volunteer Tour Guide: (613) 546-4291, ext. 1520

 

This page last modified: May 25, 2009, at 6:11 p.m.