Comment 71061

By Shawn Selway (anonymous) | Posted November 05, 2011 at 22:19:10 in reply to Comment 71031

No, it's nothing special architecturally, but its quite typical and it's location is special. It is one of three buildings, all still present, that housed the shops and offices of Hamilton Bridge and Tool, later Bridge and Tank. Nothing wrong with the steel frame structure, huge freespan interior volumes, easist thing in the world to adapt as there are no walls etc to remove, and there's nothing planned for that site, so why destroy it?

As for storied, sure is. Just for starters, in this building or next door, the tunnel digging shield for the St Clair River rail tunnel was built. Serious engineering first. Made the cover of Scientific American in 1890. Look here

http://www.scientificamericanpast.com/Scientific%20American%201890%20to%201899/1/med/sci891890.htm

For the full story, check the Historic American Engineering Record report, here

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/MI0363/

One more, of many: Hamilton Bridge did the steelwork for the Bloor Viaduct. For lots of very cool construction photos, look here

http://www.blogto.com/city/2011/09/the_birth_of_the_bloor_viaduct/

Viaduct figures in Ondatje's Skin of a Lion. Literally storied.

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