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The Kingston Market Square has a long and colourful history.
The site was occupied by Col. John Bradstreet's soldiers when
they shelled nearby Fort Frontenac to evict the French. With the
arrival of Loyalists, surveyor John Collins designated a few streets
and laid out the market site. Soon businesses flourished in this
area -- Peter Smyth's dry goods, Lawrence Herchmer's liquor store,
where the Prince George Hotel now stands, Walker's first hotel,
then the Griffin Hotel, and many others. The Market Square originally
was much larger than it is now, spreading from Brock Street to
Clarence Street and from King Street down to the waterfront. In
1848 it was deeded to the city by an official Act dated July 29,
1846 and signed by D. Daly, secretary. Farmers brought their produce
by wagon or cart to the market as it was the only place where
they could sell. At the Fishermen's dock at the foot of Brock
Street clean and fresh fish were offered to their customers and
what they could not sell they dumped into the bay to the great
delight of seagulls. The Market Square was also a centre for various
other activities. Here in 1812 a lieutenant sent by Col. John
Vincent, commanding officer of the garrison, announced the beginning
of the war. Here people of Kingston celebrated the day of Confederation.
Soldiers assembled here to fight Louis Riel.
So did the soldiers who went from Kingston to fight the First
and Second World Wars. Here Queen Elizabeth in June, 1973 greeted
the people of Kingston before unveiling the Count Frontenac Marker
in Confederation Park.
From:
Kingston Historic City by Nick and Helma Mika
with Derek F.Crawley, Kathy Harding, Capt. J.R. McKenzie
and Frances K. Smith
Mika Publishing Company Belleville, Ontario 1987
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At mid-century, the centre of local commerce remained around
the Market Square, situated between King and Ontario streets,
and Clarence and Johnson. Farmers and townspeople continued to
meet there and barter under the watchful eye of the offices of
Kingston town council, and in plain sight of the Commercial Bank.
In 1840 after one of Kingston's great fires destroyed much of
the area, including all of the market block, the city fathers
seized the opportunity to build a new city hall and market building.
Completed in November 1844, the town hall and market was, as one
commentator wrote, "the finest building of this description in
Canada." In what became known as the "Shambles," the west wing
of the new building, butchers and hucksters set up their stalls
on either side of a wide passage. Other parts of the domed structure
were rented to various businesses, merchants houses, and the Scotch
Free Church. Destroyed by fire again
in 1865, the Shambles was rebuilt and later converted into
a police station. July 1, 1867 was a day of jubilation and pride
for local area residents. The paper reported that "a sort of mild
lunacy seemed to have overtaken some of our staid and quiet citizens."
A royal salute from Fort Henry at 6 a.m. was followed by a military
review. At 12 o'clock the Proclamation
of Confederation was read to the packed crowd in Market Square,
and then the townspeople dispersed to watch sports on the criquet
field. The day ended with fireworks. For Kingstonians, Confederation
engendered pride in themselves, in local son John A. Macdonald,
now Sir John, and in the new country.
From:
Greater Kingston: Historic Past, Progressive Future Jane Errington
1988 Windsor Publications
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Back in the 1840s, the fate of the Market Building, which had
suffered heavy damage in a great conflagration, was the chief
topic of discussion at town council meetings. No concrete decisions
were made until May 30, 1842. On that day, the entry in the minutes
stated that Mayor John Counter was authorized to consider plans
for a new building and to get an estimate of the cost. Two weeks
later it was resolved to commence preparations forthwith to build
a new market house and town hall. The description of the proposed
building was advertised in the Kingston, Toronto and Montreal
newspapers with offers of prizes for the three best designs. The
appearance of the new town hall was to be in keeping with the
town's status as the seat of government. The successful architect,
out of thirteen entries, was George Browne of Kingston, and he
was commissioned to proceed, taking charge of construction under
the direction of the town council. The local Commercial Bank,
however, did not share the town fathers' enthusiasm, and refused
the Z7,000 loan they had requested to start building. Determined
to go ahead with their ambitious plans, Council lost no time in
sending Mayor Counter to London, England in search of the necessary
capital. Counter left Kingston in November, 1842 and returned
home in February of the following year, having been successful
in floating a loan of Z20,000. In the same month the tender was
awarded for masonry, Joseph Milner being the contractor. His price
was Z8,768. The laying of the cornerstone took place on June 5,
1843. The Governor-General, Sir Charles Metcalfe, performed the
ceremony. According to the contemporary paper, the weather was
"beastly". At twelve o'clock various public bodies and members
of different societies assembled on the market square. A procession
formed and marched up King Street to the town limits, near Stuart's
Point, where it awaited the Governor-General's arrival in his
state carriage drawn by four horses and escorted by a detachment
of the 1st Frontenac Dragoons. The parade route back to the site
of the municipal buildings was lined with Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
A thundering fusilade of artillery accom- panied the actual laying
of the cornerstone. As the band played "God Save the Queen", oil,
wine and corn were poured over the stone. A brass plate placed
over the cavity bears the inscription: "On this the fifth
day of June, in the year of Our Lord, 1843, and in the sixth year
of the reign of Queen Victoria, His Excellency the Rt. Hon. Sir
C. Theophilus Metcalfe, Bart., G.C.B. Governor General of British
North America, laid the first stone of this building, undertaken
by the Common Council of Kingston for the public accommodation
and ornament of the City." As the magnificent building
was nearing completion, the Anglo-American wrote: "They have nearly
finished a splendid new Market, with public offices, of which
I subjoin you an account; it is the finest building of this description
in Canada and reflects great honour on George Browne, the talented
architect. This building is in the
Roman style of architecture, in the form of a T, and presents
from the Lake a most magnificent appearance." Shortly before,
a quarrel had erupted between the architect and the town fathers,
resulting in Browne's dismissal and the employment of William
Coverdale during the final phase of construction. In November
of 1844 Kingstonians celebrated the completion of their elaborate
town hall and market building. The latter, a wing extending at
the rear to King Street, was known as the "Shambles". Two stories
high, this market wing was topped by a clock tower. Butchers and
hucksters occupied stalls along the passageway running through
the centre while others set up shop in the basement of the Shambles.
A few of the hucksters, too poor to pay rent for proper housing,
tried to move their families into the cellar shops. In 1865 the
Market Shambles fell victim to one
of the most spectacular fires in Kingston's history. They
were rebuilt without the tower and in later years the building
was a police station. The tower clock which survived the fire
was placed in the dome above the front entrance of the civic building.
Constructed of local limestone, its front facing the waters of
the harbour, Kingston's city hall today is considered one of the
finest examples of 19th century classic municipal architecture
not only in Ontario, but in all of Canada. The present dome above
the main entrance is of more recent vintage. It was constructed
after a fire in 1907 damaged the original dome. At the time of
restoration a new clock was installed. The stately portico in
front of the entrance on Ontario Street was taken down in 1956
as it showed signs of age. However, ten years later it was restored
as a tribute to Sir John A. Macdonald on the 150th anniversary
of his birth.
From:
Kingston Historic City by Nick and Helma Mika
with Derek F.Crawley, Kathy Harding, Capt. J.R. McKenzie
and Frances K. Smith
Mika Publishing Company Belleville, Ontario 1987
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