Osgoode Hall Fence Heritage Property Plaque

File information	File dimensions	File size	Options
Original JPG File	8400 × 6515 pixels (54.73 MP) 71.1 cm × 55.2 cm @ 300 PPI	8.8 MB	Restricted
Low resolution print	2000 × 1551 pixels (3.1 MP) 16.9 cm × 13.1 cm @ 300 PPI	1.5 MB	Restricted
Screen	1032 × 800 pixels (0.83 MP) 8.7 cm × 6.8 cm @ 300 PPI	325 KB	Restricted

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Resource details

Resource ID

10429

Access

Open

Address

130 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N5

Credit Line

Heritage Toronto

Date of Creation

2023

Description

This ornate cast iron fence was completed in 1867, the year of Canadian Confederation, according to designs by architect William Storm. Osgoode Hall is the home of the Law Society of Ontario, the body that governs the provinceâ€™s legal professions, as well as the Court of Appeal for Ontario and the Superior Court of Justice. Named for William Osgoode, first Chief Justice of Upper Canada, the building opened in 1832 and was expanded and modified several times. The grounds were first surrounded by a wooden fence around 1831. In the 1860s, the Law Society ordered a permanent replacement, and the St. Lawrence Foundry created the panels in 1866 and 1867. An urban myth, popularized in the 1933 book The Yellow Briar by Toronto lawyer John Mitchell, tells how the iron fence and gates were designed to keep out animals, but by the 1860s it was rare to see wandering livestock in Toronto. The design was likely chosen to provide a grand threshold for the courthouse while also controlling access to the grounds. Due to weather exposure and its downtown location, the fence requires regular maintenance, including major refurbishment every 25 to 30 years.