Industrial site.
Details of Site Location: 139-145 Front Street East.
Boundary History: The factory fronted on Front Street East’s south side, ran south along the west side of Frederick Street for most of the block to end at the City Morgue on the south, and on the west adjoined other commercial and industrial properties.
Current Use of Property: A portion of the Safe Works building survives in the commercial building now at Front, but the bulk of the factory has been demolished.
Historical Description: The J. & J. Taylor Safe Works was also known as the Toronto Safe Works. The company began in 1855 as a foundry that made machine and large castings, materials for the building trade to be used as decorative and structural elements in buildings, boats, and safes. Their safes were fire and theft proof, which gave them a near-monopoly in the safe-making business. The safes were bulky and heavy. The factory expanded in 1867 and again in 1877 to occupy most of the east end of the block. Another addition was made in 1883. The company had its own wharf just west of the foot of Frederick Street and the slip ran up to the Esplanade. This was an advantage to the company for shipping in both directions as the distance between the wharf and factory was only one block at most. When the first railways were built by the Grand Trunk, the tracks ran along the south side of the Esplanade, and gave Taylor’s an optional and convenient alternative to shipping by water. In 1900, the company was reorganized. In the 1920s, the railways required more space and the city granted their demands. Building of the huge railway viaduct began in 1925 and went on for three years. Some of the land required was the south side of the Taylor property, forcing the company to close down in 1924. They never relocated. Some of their safes were still in use in the 1950s and 1960s.
Relative Importance: Of all makers of safes in the city, J. & J. Taylor was the most successful and is important as a company because their products were not only fully secure but also lasted for years without giving problems. Their products represent quality in materials and workmanship that is rapidly becoming extinct.
Planning Implications: The company expanded into a building first erected for the Davies Pork Packing Company. Both 139 and 145 Front were designated in 1977, but the designation pertains to the remaining sections of the buildings. A plaque has been recommended for the Davies business (see # 188) but the size of the Taylor business and the fact that most of it has vanished also merits a separate plaque. Two plaques will assist the public in understanding the layering of history in the downtown area in particular.
Reference Source: Ontario Society for Industrial Archaeology.