Don Jail Governor’s House and Gatehouse

GBCA, in association with Hilditch Architect, is working with the Philip Aziz Centre, a non-profit, home hospice program, to transform two buildings on the former Don Jail property into a Children’s Residential Hospice and associated office space. The project includes restoration of both the Governor’s House and the Gatehouse, along with a new, modern addition to the rear of the Governor’s House. By adding a modern extension on the rear, the design preserves the key heritage features of the building, while allowing the facility to meet all the requirements for modern health care. This work is concurrent with the redevelopment of the entire Don Jail site by Bridgepoint Health.

The former Don Jail complex is of provincial heritage significance as one of the largest mid-nineteenth century reforming prisons in North America. The Gate House was built in conjunction with the Jail, which was begun in 1859 and completed in 1864. The Governor’s House was added to the Jail precinct in 1888. While a number of other subsidiary structures once existed on the Jail property, the Gate House and Governor’s House are the only visible remnants of the complex other than the Jail Building itself.

In addition to designing the addition, GBCA also prepared the necessary heritage assessments for municipal and provincial approvals. Both buildings have (like the Jail) been vacant and years of neglect required conservation of all component materials. Restoration work included brick cleaning and repointing, and the repair and replacement of woodwork. As the transformation of these buildings is being undertaken by a non-profit organization, an important consideration was working within a limited budget.