Toronto's First Post MasterToronto's First Post Office Museum
James Scott Howard, Toronto's First Postmaster
Born in County Cork Ireland, he emigrated to Canada in 1819, later moving his family to the Town of York where he took over as Postmaster. As the Town of York's population grew, Howard noted the necessity for a purpose-built Post Office.
Duke Street Town of YorkToronto's First Post Office Museum
Howard opened York’s first purpose-built Post Office in 1833
Mail was handled on the left side of the building, while his family lived on the right. The Post Office featured a cozy room with a fireplace for reading and writing letters. Open 8am–7pm Monday to Saturday, and one hour on Sunday, it was the Town’s most dedicated postal service.
Toronto's First Post OfficeToronto's First Post Office Museum
Howard’s Post Office became a major social hub.
It offered mail services and 204 rentable post boxes used by officials and businesses. In 1834, as York was incorporated as the City of Toronto, the post office, once York’s fourth, became Toronto’s very first, serving its growing community.
In 1837, William Lyon Mackenzie launched a Rebellion.
Howard slept in the Post Office to monitor the mail under the eye of Surveyor General Berczy. On December 7, he received a letter that concealed a rebel’s note. Branded a reform sympathizer, he was dismissed as Postmaster without trial by the Lieutenant Governor.
Harris' CornerToronto's First Post Office Museum
Howard sold the Post Office to Thomas Denne Harris in 1841.
Toronto’s new postmaster, Charles Albert Berczy, moved operations to a building on Front Street. The block and building soon became known as Harris’ Corner, while its historical importance as Toronto’s First Post Office faded into the pages of history.
Christian Boy's SchoolToronto's First Post Office Museum
In 1873, the De La Salle Institute took over Harris’ Corner.
The Christian boys’ school incorporated the former Post Office building into their complex, converting three stories into two and replacing Georgian windows with arched Victorian ones. From then on, the entire block of buildings would change hands as a single property.
Adelaide Street 20th CenturyToronto's First Post Office Museum
Educational use ended in 1916 remaining vacant until 1918.
In July 1918, the Imperial War Munitions Board, acting on behalf of the Royal Air Force, leased the complex for records and recruiting. But with the signing of the armistice in November, the Air Force surrendered the buildings before the lease expired.
Christie Cookie FactoryToronto's First Post Office Museum
The Old Town area shifted from residential to industrial.
Duke (Adelaide) Street, once part of Toronto’s first Financial District, was overtaken by Christie’s Biscuit Factory, which filled the block between George and Frederick Streets. In 1921, Christie Brown & Co. Ltd. purchased the former Bank, De La Salle, and Post Office buildings.
Dairy Fridge DaysToronto's First Post Office Museum
In 1925, Christie Brown sold the block to the UFCC.
The United Farmer’s Cooperative Company Ltd. repurposed the former Bank and De La Salle buildings as offices, continuing the site’s evolving commercial use in the heart of the St. Lawrence neighbourhood.
Cooperative OfficesToronto's First Post Office Museum
The former Post Office became a cold storage facility.
Used to store dairy and eggs, it was sealed with boarded-up windows and cork insulation. All traces of Toronto’s First Post Office vanished, and its life as a dairy fridge lasted until the mid-1960s.
By 1971, the block stood vacant and in severe disrepair.
While other historic sites became theatres, shops, restaurants, and offices, the Adelaide buildings were left decaying and were slated for demolition. On June 30, 1978, a fire destroyed their roofs and interiors, leaving the block in further ruin.
An invoice revealed the site was Toronto’s First Post Office
Despite the fire, the Bank of Upper Canada was designated a National Historic Site. This led Sheldon and Judy Godfrey to purchase and restore the block. Judy discovered an 1833 construction invoice that the bricked-up eyesore on the eastern end was the long-forgotten Post Office.
Road to RecoveryToronto's First Post Office Museum
Road to Recovery
Restoration nearing CompletionToronto's First Post Office Museum
Restoration began by returning the building to its 1833 form
This included sourcing 7,000 hand-made bricks to match the 19th-century ones. By February 1980, debris was cleared and two of four original fireplaces were restored. Work continued for three years, and the building was declared a National Historic Site in 1981.
Restoration CompleteToronto's First Post Office Museum
Restoration Complete
In 1983, Toronto’s First Post Office reopened as a museum and National Historic Site. One hundred and fifty years after its original opening, it also resumed operations as a full service post office with 220 rentable post boxes and reading room still used by the community today.
Present DayToronto's First Post Office Museum
A surviving testament of preservation.
Now operated by the Town of York Historical Society, this non-profit museum shares stories of life in the Town of York and early Toronto (1793–1851). It remains Canada’s oldest purpose-built post office still in operation.
Some public domain images sourced from the Toronto Public Library Digital Archive.
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