Designed by architect William Thomas (who also designed St. Michael’s Cathedral and St. Lawrence Hall), the building is one of the architectural treasures of Toronto and one of the few pre-Confederation structures that remains intact in the city.

Construction of the jail was almost completed when, in 1862, a disastrous fire necessitated its rebuilding. The building was reconstructed to the architect’s original plans and it was first occupied in January 1864.

When it opened it was called the “Palace for Prisoners.” At that time it represented a tremendous advance in the public attitude toward the treatment of law breakers. Until then, (as was then the world-wide custom) prisoners had been confined in appalling and inhumane conditions.

At the Don, prisoners were housed one-to-a-cell in a space only 36 inches wide, without plumbing or a bed. In later years, as many as three prisoners were housed in these tiny cells. Prisoners were not allowed to talk and only left their cells for one hour of exercise a day.

Before capital punishment was abolished in Canada, the Don was the site of 34 hangings. Starting with the execution of John Boyd in January 1908, hangings at the Don took place in an indoor chamber, which was a converted washroom, at the northeast corner of the old building.

Previously, condemned men had been hanged on an outdoor scaffold in the jail yard. The indoor facility was seen as an improvement because indoor executions were private (at the outdoor hanging of Fred Lee Rice in 1902, crowds had lined surrounding rooftops to see something of the spectacle) and because the condemned didn’t have to walk as far.

Among the Don Jail’s most notorious inmates were George Bennett, the man who murdered George Brown (one of the Fathers of Confederation), and the famous Boyd Gang, who managed to escape from the prison twice. Their second escape gained even more notoriety as it was the lead story on the very first televised newscast on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Please click below to view a collection of images relating to the Don Jail.

CLICK HERE

And for a more detailed look at the history of the jail check out Robert Hoshowsky’s fascinating and deeply researched book on the last two men executed in Canada, The Last to Die: Ronald Turpin, Arthur Lucas, and the End of Capital Punishment in Canada. It was recently called a “courageous and shocking book“ by the British Journal of Canadian Studies and was nominated for an esteemed Arthur Ellis Award in 2008.

CLICK HERE to read an exceprt of the book which is kindly reprinted courtesy of the author,  Robert J. Hoshowsky, and Dundurn Press.