Fire stations built from the late 19th century and up to 1950s varied in style.
Fire halls built from the 1950s to 1980s tended to be utilitarian in design and found in the suburbs (North York, Scarborough and Etobicoke).
Located just off Yonge Street, south of St. Clair Avenue, Balmoral Fire Hall was built in an era when horses pulled hose wagons through its double doors.
Still visible along the east wall is a second-storey projecting beam and doorway where hay was hoisted into a loft for feed.
The building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990, for its rare adoption of the Queen Anne style.