Learn a little of Toronto's history as told through its plaques.

Windmill Millstone

Photos by Alan L Brown - September 2006

If you enter the Distillery District south of Mill Street on Trinity Street you'll see this millstone on the right hand side of the street in front of Building 32. Here's what the attached 1953 plaque says:

This millstone, brought from England on the schooner 'Kingston' to the town of York 1832, was used for grinding grain in the historic windmill of Gooderham & Worts. The windmill stood 20m southwest by south of this point. It was the eastern limit of the famous 'Old Windmill Line' on which the original plan of the city of Toronto was based.

Plaque Location Co-ordinates: 43.650415 -79.359720

More industrial buildings

Here are the comments for this page.

Posted March 29, 2009
The windmill was a prominent feature of the Toronto skyline in its day, appearing in paintings (e.g., by John Howard of Colborne Lodge) and on illustrated maps. The plaque refers to "52 feet", while the transcript says "20m".

Here's where you can write a comment for this page.

Note: If you wish to ask me a question, please use the email link in the menu.

Note: Comments are moderated. Yours will appear on this page within 24 hours
(usually much sooner).