1815 Van Cortland: Government Buildings at York

Enclosed with a letter sent in August, 1815, this record of the state of rebuilding at Fort York following the War of 1812 may be the earliest extant plan of the present fort. Structures #19, #20 and # 21 are shown as then under construction. Certain oddities in the alignment of some buildings suggest the plan was drawn freehand rather than surveyed.

Notice how the Soldiers’ 'Necessary' (#12) hangs out over Lake Ontario, and a small brick barrack for 10 men (#8) and Carpenters Shop (#14) sit between Blockhouse No. 2 (#6) and the Stone Magazine (#16), atop the footprint of Government House before the war. The kitchen for the Officers’ Mess (#19) was in the basement where it would remain until the present kitchen at ground level was added in 1826.

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Government Buildings at York. [Sgd] P. Van Cortland Depy B.M. Genl
Image courtesy Library and Archives Canada: NMC 4440
Winearls, MUC no. 2038

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