Kingston City Hall is the

seat of local government The seat of government is (as defined by ''Brewer's Politics'') "the building, complex of buildings or the city from which a government exercises its authority". In most countries, the nation's capital is also seat of its government, thus that ...

Kingston, Ontario Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...

, Canada. Occupying a full

city block A city block, residential block, urban block, or simply block is a central element of urban planning and urban design. In a city with a grid system, the block is the smallest group of buildings that is surrounded by streets. City blocks are th ...

facing

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...

in Kingston's downtown, the city hall is a prominent building constructed in the Neoclassical style with a landmark

tholobate A tholobate (), also called a drum or tambour, is the upright part of a building on which a dome is raised. It is generally in the shape of a cylinder or a polygonal prism. The name derives from the tholos, the Greek term for a round building ...

and

dome A dome () is an architectural element similar to the hollow upper half of a sphere. There is significant overlap with the term cupola, which may also refer to a dome or a structure on top of a dome. The precise definition of a dome has been a m ...

. The city hall was completed in 1844, with its scale and design reflective of Kingston's status as the capital of the

Province of Canada The Province of Canada (or the United Province of Canada or the United Canadas) was a British colony in British North America from 1841 to 1867. Its formation reflected recommendations made by John Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, in the Report ...

at that time. The architect chosen for the project in 1841 was George Browne, and the building was believed to be one of Browne's most outstanding works. The building was designated a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada () are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being of national historic significance. Parks C ...

in 1961.

History

On 18 April 1840 a fire destroyed much of the downtown section of Kingston, including the market area, the market building, and the original municipal offices located in the Baker Building on King Street facing Market Square. Mayor John Counter proposed a new market building and municipal building. Since Kingston was, at the time, the capital of the new

, the appearance of the new town hall was planned to reflect the city’s status as the capital. Architect George Browne, who had moved to Kingston from Quebec with the new government, won the design contest and drew the plans. He also took charge of construction. The final phase of construction, however, was overseen by

William Coverdale William Coverdale (8 July 1862 – 23 September 1934) was an English first-class cricketer, who played two matches for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in June 1888.Charles Metcalfe at the location of the market overlooking the waterfront. The building was completed by November 1844. The new city hall was constructed of limestone in the form of a T and incorporated a new market building that extended west toward King Street. Known as the market "shambles", this wing of the city hall was designed as a public market and was used by hucksters, butchers and green grocers who occupied stalls. The market wing also included a clock tower. In 1865 the wing was destroyed by a fire. It was rebuilt with a smaller configuration but without the clock tower, and the clock was placed into the main dome. A fire in 1908 destroyed the main dome, which was reconstructed with a new clock. Since Kingston entered into a recession when the seat of government moved to Montreal in May 1844, town council was concerned about paying for the large building and so began renting out space. Tenants included the post office, customs offices, the Masons, the

Orange Order The Loyal Orange Institution, commonly known as the Orange Order, is an international Protestant fraternal order based in Northern Ireland and primarily associated with Ulster Protestants. It also has lodges in England, Grand Orange Lodge of ...

, a saloon, a dry goods store, an amateur theatre, the

Mechanics Institute Mechanics' institutes, also known as mechanics' institutions, sometimes simply known as institutes, and also called schools of arts (especially in the Australian colonies), were educational establishments originally formed to provide adult ed ...

, the

Bank of British North America The Bank of British North America was founded by royal charter issued in 1836 in London, England. British North America was the common name by which the British colonies and territories that now comprise Canada were known prior to 1867. By 189 ...

, and the

Scottish Free Church Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

. The west wing was rented out for lectures, meetings, bazaars and balls. Welfare recipients were housed in the basement but this proved to be unsuccessful and the tenants were evicted. The

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...

at the front entrance was removed in 1956 because of deterioration but was restored in 1966. To commemorate Kingston's

tercentenary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded. Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. These could be the date of independence of the nation or the adoption o ...

in 1973, the interior of the building was renovated and restored. Memorial Hall, located in the north wing, includes twelve stained glass windows that pay tribute to those who fought in several

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

battles.

John A. Macdonald Sir John Alexander Macdonald (10 or 11January 18156June 1891) was the first prime minister of Canada, serving from 1867 to 1873 and from 1878 until his death in 1891. He was the dominant figure of Canadian Confederation, and had a political ...

, Canada's first prime minister, lay in state here following his death on 6 June 1891.

Police headquarters

Kingston’s police force set up its headquarters in the basement of City Hall as soon as the building opened in 1844. The space consisted of a large room, four cells and the Police Court. In the early 1900s, the police offices and Police Court moved to the main floor. In 1952 the police offices moved into two floors of the attached Market Building, which had been renovated. Police holding cells were located on the main floor, while the second floor housed the main offices and Magistrate’s Court. As the force expanded, it outgrew its allotted space and so the police headquarters moved into a separate building, which was completed in 1972. It has since moved into even larger quarters.

Market Square

Springer Market Square, located directly behind city hall, holds a seasonal

farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or ...

, the Kingston Public Market, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from April until November, although in the early years the market was held summer and winter. It is the oldest

public market A marketplace, market place, or just market, is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from ...

in the province. An antiques market operates in the square on Sundays. The square was revitalized during 2005–07, creating an outdoor skating rink and small amphitheatres in the north and south courtyards of city hall. Market Square was created as part of the original town plan of 1784 and was the site of an informal market established in 1788. The square originally extended to the waterfront.Mika 1987, p. 137 It was the only location in Kingston where farmers could sell their produce, which was brought in by wagon or cart. The Kingston Public Market was officially established by the City of Kingston in 1801, and the rules and regulations were proclaimed in May 1811. It was the centre of commerce and trade in the city and through the 19th century public buildings, hotels, and shops developed around the square including Kingston City Hall which was built in 1844. As the city grew, the market came to consist of ramshackle wooden stalls known as the market shambles, which were destroyed, along with many of the surrounding buildings, in the Great Fire of 1840. After the fire, the market area was rebuilt with a new market building, which was attached to the new city hall. The market was deeded to the city in 1848. In 1758 British Colonel

John Bradstreet Major General John Bradstreet, born Jean-Baptiste Bradstreet (21 December 1714 – 25 September 1774) was a British Army officer during King George's War, the French and Indian War, and Pontiac's War. He was born in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia ...

's infantry used the site when they bombarded the French

Fort Frontenac Fort Frontenac was a French trading post and military fort built in July 1673 at the mouth of the Cataraqui River where the St. Lawrence River leaves Lake Ontario (at what is now the western end of the La Salle Causeway), in a location traditi ...

during the

Battle of Fort Frontenac The Battle of Fort Frontenac took place on August 26–28, 1758 during the Seven Years' War (referred to as the French and Indian War in the United States) between France and Great Britain. The location of the battle was Fort Frontenac, a Fre ...

. The square was the location where the first

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Upper Canada The Province of Upper Canada () was a Province, part of The Canadas, British Canada established in 1791 by the Kingdom of Great Britain, to govern the central third of the lands in British North America, formerly part of the Province of Queb ...

John Graves Simcoe Lieutenant-General (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General John Graves Simcoe (25 February 1752 – 26 October 1806) was a British army officer, politician and colonial administrator who served as the lieutenant governor of Upper Canada from 1791 u ...

, proclaimed the

Constitutional Act 1791 The Constitutional Act 1791 (31 Geo. 3. c. 31) () was an Act of Parliament (United Kingdom), act of the Parliament of Great Britain which was passed during the reign of George III. The act divided the old Province of Quebec (1763–1791), Pro ...

which established

as a separate jurisdiction, where the beginning of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

was announced, and in 1867, was the location where

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation () was the process by which three British North American provinces—the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick—were united into one federation, called the Name of Canada#Adoption of Dominion, Dominion of Ca ...

was proclaimed. The square was also used as an assembly point for soldiers who participated in the

North-West Rebellion The North-West Rebellion (), was an armed rebellion of Métis under Louis Riel and an associated uprising of Cree and Assiniboine mostly in the District of Saskatchewan, against the Government of Canada, Canadian government. Important events i ...

and fought in the First and Second World Wars. Archaeological investigations that took place in 2002 and 2003 in preparation for the revitalization project uncovered evidence of old commercial buildings, the old market and market wing, remnants of part of the nearby Fort Frontenac, and signs of the two major fires that occurred in 1840 and 1865. Market Square was renamed "Springer" Market Square in 2008 to recognize the donation of $1 million to the City of Kingston by the Springer family to help pay for the revitalization of the square.

Confederation Park

Confederation Park, which is associated with Kingston City Hall, separates the city hall from the waterfront. Established in 1967 on formerly-industrial waterfront land, it includes a large arch with a fountain and the Confederation Basin

Marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

. A former

Kingston and Pembroke Railway The Kingston and Pembroke Railway (K&P) was a Canadian railway that operated in eastern Ontario. The railway was seen as a business opportunity which would support the lumber and mining industries, as well as the agricultural economy in eastern On ...

(K&P) station which once served as the southern terminus of the now-defunct line is now a visitor information centre operated by Tourism Kingston. A restored historic locomotive, the "Spirit of Sir John A.", recalls downtown Kingston's past role in locomotive manufacturing.

Market Battery

A fortification known as the Market Battery, was located on the waterfront directly in front of City Hall where Confederation Park is located. It was completed in 1848 because of tension between the United States and Great Britain during the

Oregon Crisis The Oregon boundary dispute or the Oregon Question was a 19th-century territorial dispute over the political division of the Pacific Northwest of North America between several nations that had competing territorial and commercial aspirations in ...

. The Market Battery was one of several Kingston fortifications constructed during this period. A thick outer wall, or sea wall, in the harbour extended 20 feet above the water and included

embrasures An embrasure (or crenel or crenelle; sometimes called gunhole in the domain of gunpowder-era architecture) is the opening in a battlement between two raised solid portions ( merlons). Alternatively, an embrasure can be a space hollowed out ...

for cannons, while an inner wall, which included an entrance, completed the battery's enclosure to the west. In the 1870s, after Imperial troops withdrew from Kingston, the inner wall was removed and the location became a park. The large outer wall was removed in 1885 and the land was leased to the K&P railroad. A wall of the battery has been restored to illustrate the site's history.

Appearances in popular culture

Kingston City Hall appears in the 1999 HBO movie,

Vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), an ...

. Kingston City Hall, Market Square, and the surrounding buildings appear as part of a Russian city in the fourteenth episode of the television series,

Nikita Nikita may refer to: * Nikita (given name), people with the given name, including variants * Nikita, Crimea, a town in Ukraine * Nikita the Tanner, a character in East Slavic folklore Film and television *''Little Nikita'', a 1988 film * ''La Femm ...

's, third season, ''The Life We've Chosen'' in 2013. Kingston City Hall also appears briefly as an unnamed government building in Buffalo, New York, in 2015's

Crimson Peak ''Crimson Peak'' is a 2015 Gothic romance film directed by Guillermo del Toro and written by del Toro and Matthew Robbins. The film stars Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, Charlie Hunnam, and Jim Beaver. The story, set in Vi ...

. Kingston City Hall and Market Square appeared on the seventh episode of '' The Amazing Race Canada 4'' in 2016. Kingston City Hall and Market Square appeared in the ''

Murdoch Mysteries ''Murdoch Mysteries'' is a Canadian television drama series that premiered on Citytv on January 20, 2008, and currently airs on CBC. The series is based on characters from the ''Detective Murdoch'' novels by Maureen Jennings and stars Yannick ...

'' episode "Rigid Silence" in 2020.

References

;Notes ;Bibliography *Armstrong, Alvin. ''Buckskin to Broadloom - Kingston Grows Up''. Kingston Whig-Standard, 1973. No ISBN. *Mika, Nick and Helma et al. ''Kingston, Historic City''. Belleville: Mika Publishing Co., 1987. . *Osborne, Brian S. and Donald Swainson. ''Kingston, Building on the Past for the Future''. Quarry Heritage Books, 2011.

External links

Kingston City HallKingston Public Market

Springer Market SquareMarket Square webcam
{{NHSC National Historic Sites in Ontario Buildings and structures in Kingston, Ontario Neoclassical architecture in Canada City and town halls in Ontario George Browne buildings Designated heritage properties in Ontario