Is there a thoroughfare as historically important as King Street in Toronto? It would face stiff competition from Yonge and Queen (formerly Lot) streets, to be sure, but it's not for nothing that it bears the name of King George III, who ruled during the time that the Town of York was founded. The economic heart of the city (and now the country) through its central portion between University and Church Street, King was the first street to feature a bonafide office block, in the form of the Chewett Building.

Once home to the mighty Massey Ferguson buildings (stretching west from Massey St.), the Otto Higel Building (at Bathurst), Upper Canada College (at John), the Rossin House Hotel (at York), and the Toronto Star Building (near Bay), the street has lost some remarkable structures over time. On the flip side, landmarks like the Royal Alex Theatre, Commerce Court North, The King Edward Hotel, and St. James Cathedral ensure that the it's not bereft of historical reference points, even its manufacturing legacy west of Bathurst has been lost.

In general, buildings knocked down through the central portion of King Street were at least replaced with grand structures of their own (i.e. Toronto Star Building for First Canadian Place), a tradition that would continue should the Mirvish-Gehry proposal ever get approved. King Street is about as marquee as you get in Toronto, and a rather fitting place for showpiece structures.

PHOTOS

Chewett Building, King & York streets, 1834

Former Upper Canada College grounds and King West via Goad's Atlas

King & Yonge, 1896

Looking east along King towards Church, 1856

Looking west along King toward Yonge, 1856

Looking west along King from York, 1856

King St. East to Victoria, 1910

King West subway, 1915

Near King & Bay, 1930

Yonge Subway construction at King St, 1950

Yonge & King, late 1950s

Royal Alex Theatre, 1955

Sword Restaurant at Yonge & King, 1967

King St., 1970s

Junction of King & Queen streets, 1973

Northwest corner of Bathurst & King, 1977

King St. near St. Lawrence Hall, 1978

Ditto, but 1980

Northwest corner of King & Bathurst, 1981

King West, 1980s

King & Strachan, 1980s

King West, 1980s

King & Frederick, 1994

Photos from the Toronto Archives