Barbour's General Store facts for kids
Barbour's General Store is a cool museum and a helpful place for tourists in Saint John, New Brunswick. It's an actual old shop from the 1800s! They saved it to show people what life was like in the Victorian era. You can find it where King Street and Prince William Street meet, in the old Trinity Royal Historic Preservation Area downtown. Since August 22, 2015, it's also been a working shop and a place to get information about the area.
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History of Barbour's General Store
The museum first opened its doors in 1967. The building itself is very old, built in the mid-1800s in northern New Brunswick. It was a busy general store from the 1860s all the way to the 1940s.
How the Store Moved
In the late 1960s, the whole building was moved to Saint John. Imagine that! It was actually towed down the Saint John River to its new home. The G.E. Barbour Company helped pay to save the building. They also helped fill it with old items to make it look like a real general store from the past. That's why it's named after them today.
The Big Idea Behind the Museum
A local businessman named Ralph Brenan had the idea for this museum. He worked for G.E. Barbour. He was surprised when his granddaughter didn't know what coal was, or many other common things from his own childhood. He wanted to help kids learn about local history. So, he decided to create a museum right in the middle of Saint John.
What You Can See at Barbour's
The general store is set up just like a real shop from a long time ago. You can see all sorts of old items on the shelves.
Items from the Past
They have things like old clothes, shoes, and hats. You can also see preserved tobacco, old medicines, and household items. These include tools, lamps, board games, and irons. There are even local products like Surprise Soap, which was made in nearby St. Stephen. You can also spot Crosby's molasses, which was made right in Saint John.
