South Dumfries Historical Society

Name: South Dumfries Historical Society
Address: 34 Main St. S., St. George, N0E 1N0, Canada
Telephone: 519-448-1977

34 Main St. S.

St. George, ON N0E 1N0

Canada

519-448-1977

Hours

Saturdays 11 am - 2 pm

Category

Community > Museum

Description

The South Dumfries Historical Society was founded in 2003 to assume the operation of the St. George Museum & Archives that had been set up by the St. George Trade & Tourism Association. Our mission is to “preserve, present, and promote the history of the people and places of the former South Dumfries Township.”

The Society is located in the St. George Memorial Hall building, a former commercial building that was constructed in 1891 as the Howell Block. In 1925, the building was donated to the community by Mrs. Louise Kitchen for use as a community hall and memorial to the local citizens who served in the Great War. The Hall contained at various times meeting rooms, an auditorium and stage, a radio station, a library, and a post office. It was operated by a board of trustees until the 1950s, when the property was deeded to the Township so the Hall would be eligible for grants for improvements.

In 2009, the County of Brant, which had become the owner after the elimination of township governments in the municipality, declared that the Memorial Hall was surplus to the needs in the village and the Society successfully negotiated to become the new owners. The Society now maintains the Memorial Hall as a memorial to the local men and women who have served in the armed forces, as a community hall, and as the St. George Museum & Archives.

We invite you to join the SDHS and become a partner in preserving our community’s history. We encourage you to become involved in the many events and fundraisers that we organize in support of this community, some of which include:

* The Remembrance Day Service at the Cenotaph in St. George
* Chili Chow Down
* New Year’s Brunch and Levee
* Hot Chocolate and Treats during the Santa Claus Parade
* Breakfast fundraiser during the Civic Weekend Community Yard Sale
* Participation in Canada Day and AppleFest Festivities
* Tech Tuesday, a public computer education series
* Public Forum on Opiods

South Dumfries Historical Society’s Museum is open Saturdays 11-2. For more information, you can call the Museum at 448-3265, or contact Cliff Jones at 448-1075

Map

Advertiser

South Dumfries Historical Society
John Wehrstein
34 Main St. S.
St. George ON N0E 1N0
Canada

519-448-1977

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South Dumfries Historical Society John Wehrstein

The South Dumfries Historical Society was founded in February 2003 to continue the operation of the community’s museum. The museum had been developed by the St. George/South Dumfries Trade and Tourism Association in the 1990’s, but with the dissolution of this body, the museum was in jeopardy. An enthusiastic group of citizens banded together to form the SDHS and to preserve the history of their community.

Mrs. J. Wehrstein was the Original Curator of the St. George Old School Museum and it was she who notated that ‘the two vital factors of the area which caused settlers to locate here, (before William Dickson purchased North and South Dumfries for the approximate cost of one dollar an acre), were the flowing wells and the excellent farming land.

St. George was originally called Bauslaugh Mills in honour of John Bauslaugh, an early settler who had a sawmill east of the Station Road (Branchton Road toward Highway 99).

Other businesses on Main Street prior to the twentieth century included: an undertaking business, a hotel, a library, a barbershop, a post office, several grocery stores and a harness shop

The South Dumfries Historical Society was created to:
* Arouse and stimulate interest in the story of the people and places of the former South Dumfries Township, including the villages of St. George, Glen Morris and Harrisburg.
* Collect, classify, edit and preserve information and objects related to the former Township.
* Disseminate material collected: by publishing, by holding meetings and discussions for the presentation of papers, and by marking historical sites of interest and significance.