[Goldie]

A couple more 19th century views of that block (Yonge, Richmond to Queen).

Simpsons Store, S/W corner Queen, 1895

N/W corner Richmond, 1899 --------- before Simpsons expanded south to this corner

 

[thecharioteer]

Some unique advertising in this 1893 view:

If one looks at the store between the two clocks, it looks like it came down in 1893 as Simpson was assembling the block, with a temporary "Shooting Gallery" put in:

However, the dates seem confusing as the building between the two clocks seems to still be there in the 1895 pic of Simpson's.

In this later view, there is still the last hold-out shown (same gap?; seems further south):

 

[Goldie]

Percy Waters Florist, Danforth Ave. 1918

If someone (JT?) can get us the address, we may be able to create a "Then & Now."

 

[wwwebster]

If one looks at the store between the two clocks...

“Elgin Block,†by Dick & Wickson, an illustration of which can be found in the January 1893 issue of The Canadian Architect and Builder.

 

[r937]

Percy Waters Florist, Danforth Ave. 1918

445 danforth

http://www.percywatersflorist.com/about-us

 

[DSC]

“Elgin Block,” by Dick & Wickson, an illustration of which can be found in the January 1893 issue of The Canadian Architect and Builder.

Available free at McGill website

 

[Goldie]

445 danforth

http://www.percywatersflorist.com/about-us

Thank you for that r937.
I'll venture to the Danforth in the warmer weather to do a "Now" image.

 

[Zeiss]

445 Danforth ave now

 

[Conrad Black]

Love those Simpson shots as it expands.

 

[thecharioteer]

Love those Simpson shots as it expands.

Don't forget that the original store suffered a disastrous fire shortly after it opened and that there are subtle differences to the replacement.

1895:

1899:

 

[mattelderca]

Re Simpson's, that might explain the shooting gallery turned Elgin block. Why that structure was so short lived. It appears to have been burned out by the fire.
That "last hold out" appears to be Kent Bros. (It is! the address matches and it is listed as damaged on the fire map)

 

[thecharioteer]

Also note the "collateral damage" on the other three corners, where on the NW corner the Agricultural Hall was replaced by Philip Jamieson Clothier and Outfitters:

1867:

1897:

 

[Goldie]

These two 1895? images puzzle me.
Why does the church (on the right) look so different in each pic?

 

[thecharioteer]

The Knox Church lost its steeple in the fire, as quoted in Nathan's wonderful website:

From The Globe:

... one of the most absorbing features of interest about the fire was the burning of the steeple of Knox Church. The steeple of the old church was destroyed in a manner that kept an immense crowd in a state of excitement for two hours, and made up a scene of wonderful beauty and impressiveness. To see the fire smouldering high up on the steeple during all that time, a fire so small that a pailful of water would have extinguished it, but with no possibility of getting anywhere near it, was painful to the spectators, and must have been exasperating to the brigade...
The terrific heat from the upper storeys of the Simpson building first ignited a small wooden ornament on top of the stone tower of the church, but this was of little consequence, as it was hardly possible for it to ignite anything else. A tiny jet of smoke coming from the small wooden window frames thirty feet higher up, which appeared after 1 o‘clock, was the real source of danger, and some of the officers of the church and insurance men appealed to the firemen to try in some way to extinguish this fire before it should spread.
But the firemen realized how helpless they were in the matter, as they had no appliances at all suitable. Finally at 2 o‘clock a fireman with a Babcock extinguisher made an attempt to ascend the tower on the inside. By this time the fire in the steeple had become brighter, and it was feared that if the fireman could not get up the steeple the whole church was doomed. The crowd watched with intense interest his slow ascent, as shown by the light of the lantern he carried shining through the large front window. When he reached the belfry he endeavored to pass the bell, and in so doing pulled the hammer, the bell giving out three strokes, that sounded weird and pathetic under the circumstances. Then followed a period of suspense while the people strained their eyes to catch the first sight of him at the summit of the tower, but soon the lantern was seen descending again, and it was evident that he had failed and that the tower was doomed.
From this time on the fire very slowly increased, until about 2:45 o‘clock it had blazed out fiercely, looking like an immense torch. The wind sent the flames curling around the steeple, and as the fire spread upwards and downwards great forks of flame stretched out to the east. Then the firemen brought hose to play upon the church as the falling embers were a source of danger to the body of the building. The moment the stream was turned on the crowd set up a cheer with a distinctly derisive note to it...

http://goadstoronto.blogspot.ca/2012/10/the-great-toronto-fires-of-1904-and-1895.html

1847 view:

 

[mattelderca]

In the left pic you can just see the top of the churches chimeny tower, which is clearly visible after the fire. The spire is missing after the fire. The fire map posted explains that. It says " Knox Church, Damaged, spire burnt"

Edit: Ha, was beaten to it! Although the street front does look different. Almost that there was another building between them, was there?
The map says that is where the fire started "with a Blast".