Don Jail

Don Jail, opened in 1864,was the largest jail in North America at the time. The Don Jail is the only jail to have been officially designated the Toronto Jail, yet has rarely been referred to as such outside official circles, with the facility more commonly known as the Don Jail or The Don.

History
Designed by architect William Thomas in 1852, Don Jail was constructed with a distinctive façade in the Italianate-style with a pedimented central pavilion and vermiculated columns flanking the main entrance portico, embellished by fearsome dragons and serpents, and it is one of the oldest pre-Confederation structures that remains intact in Toronto. The inscrutable, carved stone face of Father Time — with limestone locks of hair and snaky spirals of beard — has presided for more than 150 years over the doorway and remains there today.

The historic Don Jail – located on the new Bridgepoint Active Healthcare Campus – has been restored from a place of incarceration to one of innovation. The historic, 84,000-square-foot structure is now renamed the Bridgepoint Administration Building and provides office space for hospital administrators, educators and clinical leaders. This centre for education and learning creates a bridge between past and present.