Fort York

1823 plan of Fort York. Lake Ontario bounds the fort's south face, the valley of Garrison Creek bounds the north face.

Toronto Bay, with Fort York west of the street grid of York, at the mouth of Garrison Creek. South facing cannons within the fort, and north facing cannons in a small battery on the tip of the sand spit that encloses the Bay, controlled access to the Bay.

Fort York was built at the mouth of Toronto Bay, at the direction of John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, after he chose to locate the Provincial Capital, York on the shore of the Bay, in 1793.

The 1813 Battle of York

On April 27, 1813, shortly after the ice covering Lake Ontario melted, an American raiding force, from Sackett's Harbor landed 2,700 soldiers. They quickly pushed back the defenders, who abandoned Fort York. Fleeing defenders left a fuse to explode the fort's powder magazine. The magazine's explosion killed 220 Americans, including commander of the American commander, General Zebulon Pike. In retaliation the Americans burned public buildings in York, including the Provincial legislature.

At the time of the attack the fort was roughly triangular in shape, with its south face rising just above the low bluffs that formed Lake Ontario's north shore. Its north face was adjacent to the low bluffs of Garrison Creek's valley. The entrance and gate house was on the west face.

Low earthwork walls surrounded a parade ground.

Restoration and historic site

In 1923 the old fort's site was designated a historic site. In 1934, the one hundredth anniversary of the founding of Toronto, the restored site was opened to the public. Subsequently it has been further restored to its early 19th century appearance.