CNHS - York Post Office - Toronto, ON
Posted by: 
ras258
N 43° 39.111 W 079° 22.221
17T E 631418 N 4834496
The building at this site was both York's fourth post office and when Toronto was incorporated into a city it became Toronto's first post office.
Waymark Code: WMCYG8
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 10/26/2011
Views: 9
This building at 260 Adelaide Street East is the site of York's fourth post office and also the site of Toronto's first post office. It is a fully functioning post office today. You will see one of Canada's graffiti-proof mailboxes on the sidewalk in front of the building. There is also a postal museum in this building operated by the Town of York Historical Society.
"James Scott Howard, who was born in Ireland in 1798 and came to York in 1820, was appointed postmaster in 1828. In those times, postmasters had to provide the building and pay for staff, fuel, candles and stationery. Usually, their families also lived there. In April 1833 Howard bought the land from the Bank of Upper Canada, and built a three-storey red brick Georgian style house for himself and the post office, which had a separate entrance at the west end. When York became Toronto the next year, it was the city's first and only post office. During the Rebellion of 1837, Howard was unjustly accused of disloyalty, and was dismissed in 1838. He sold the building to Hudson Murray, who lived there for many years."
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The English portion of the plaque reads:
"York Post Office
Originally all post offices in Upper Canada were owned by the postmasters in charge, who were imperial appointments. This building was constructed for postmaster James Scott Howard during 1833-1835 and functioned as the town's post office until Howard's dismissal in 1837. A typical example of a small public building of the time, combining public offices with a private residence, it survives as a rare example of an early Canadian post office. In 1876, it was incorporated into the present block of buildings. The mansard roof is a later addition.
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Government of Canada"
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More information from Parks Canada: (
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Town of York Historical Society: (
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