Kingston City Hall

In 1843 the architect George Browne was commissioned to design a town hall in keeping with Kingston's status as a provincial capital. This building, one of the most ambitious examples of nineteenth century Canadian municipal architecture, was completed in 1844 at a cost of almost £20,000. It housed the municipal offices, the council chambers, and the town market, and also contained shops, other offices, and a saloon. A fire in 1865 destroyed part of the rear wing. The portico, removed in 1958, was rebuilt in 1966 by the City with the financial assistance of the federal government.