Stone Church Site of Jesse Ketchum Hall
Jesse Ketchum (1780-1867) was a tanner, politician and generous public benefactor in the town of York. He helped to establish churches, schools and libraries. A life long opponent of the use of liquor, he worked diligently to further the cause of temperance, even calling a street which he opened through his property "Temperance Street". He built a meeting hall on site in 1848, which was used by the community for various functions. In 1853, he donated the building to the York Sons of Temperance and it remained the centre of the temperance movement in Toronto for a century. The hall was sold to The Stone Church in 1969 on condition that temperance continues to be served. In 1986, the church built a new sanctuary for their increased congregation and active downtown ministry, which maintains the temperance cause. The bricks supporting the plaque were saved from the only remaining portions of the original hall, which had undergone many alterations over the years.
Plaque via Alan L. Brown's site Toronto Plaques. Full page here.