The British Coffee House in the Chewett Building

From the Corner of York Street, Looking East, Down King Street, Showing the British Coffee House and Chewett’s Buildings, Where the Rossin House Now Stands, City of Toronto Museums Collection, 1978.41.61
The Rossin House Hotel, photographed by Octavius Thompson. Toronto Public Library Collection, TPL T12706

In 1855 Chewet sold the property to the Rossin brothers who replaced the office block with a Renaissance Revival Hotel. William Kauffmann of Rochester, New York designed the hotel and Howard -now entering retirement-consulted on the project6. The hotel included fire safety measures such as multiple exit rouutes, a load-bearing system and a dedicated water supply for firefighters.

6 http://www.dictionaryofarchitectsincanada.org/architects/view/1543 Accessed: December 11, 2013

In a move that anticipated the Upper Canada Rebellion the government ordered the Chewett building closed early in 1837, thus preventing its use as a meeting place for rebels. In 1838 the government officially seized the building for military purposes, eventually returning it to Chewett in 18425.

5 Ibid