Built in 1798, the Town of York's (now Toronto

Toronto

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario

Ontario

Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

) first jail was a log structure with 10 cells and a hanging yard. It was located on the south-east corner of King Street and Yonge Street

Yonge Street

Yonge Street is a major arterial route connecting the shores of Lake Ontario in Toronto to Lake Simcoe, a gateway to the Upper Great Lakes. It was formerly listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest street in the world at , and the construction of Yonge Street is designated an "Event of...

, where the King Edward Hotel stands today. Commonly known as the "Old Log Gaol", it was replaced by a brick jail

King Street Gaol (1827)

The second King Street Gaol was built in 1824 to replace the first King Street Gaol in Toronto, Ontario, then known as the town of York...

 in 1827.

The first person to be executed at the jail was John Sullivan on October 11, 1798. A tailor by trade, Sullivan was convicted of stealing a forged note worth about one dollar

Canadian dollar

The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...

.