Elman W. Campbell Museum facts for kids
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| Established | 25 June 1982 |
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| Location | 134 Main Street South Newmarket, Ontario L3Y 3Y7 |
| Type | Local museum |
| Collections | Cultural artifacts |
| Founder | Elman W. Campbell |
| Owner | Town of Newmarket |
| Built | 1884, addition: 1938, addition 1954 |
| Built for | York County, Ontario |
| Original use | Registry Office |
| Current use | Museum |
| Architect | John T. Stokes, built by Page and Harris |
| Designated | 1987 |
| Reference no. | Town of Newmarket, By-law 1987-72 |
The Elman W. Campbell Museum is a cool place to learn about history in Newmarket, Ontario. It tells the story of Newmarket and the areas around it, starting from when the first Quaker settlers arrived in the early 1800s. The museum focuses on old items (called artifacts) from the local area and explains why they are important.
You can explore different displays that are always there (permanent exhibits) and also see special displays that change over time (temporary exhibits). The museum also offers fun programs for younger students and groups like Scouts Canada. You can find the museum at 134 Main Street South, and it's easy to get around for everyone because it's wheelchair accessible.
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What Can You See at the Museum?
The Elman W. Campbell Museum has many interesting displays. Some exhibits are always there for you to enjoy. Others are special displays that change throughout the year.
Permanent Exhibits
These are some of the exhibits you can always find at the museum:
- A model train set that shows downtown Newmarket as it looked in the mid-1920s.
- A copy of a log cabin, showing what life was like for the first settlers in the Newmarket area.
Temporary Exhibits
The museum often has new and exciting temporary exhibits. Here are some examples of past ones:
- 75th Anniversary of D-Day: This exhibit featured photos and uniforms from the time of the D-Day invasion.
- The Great War in Pictures and Objects: This display showed pictures, uniforms, and items from World War I, which happened between 1914 and 1918.
- Gallery of Festive Trees: This fun exhibit showed many different Christmas trees. Each tree was decorated in the style of a different time period.
- History Through Stitches: This exhibit displayed handmade quilts from different groups of the Federated Women's Institutes of Ontario. It also included old sewing machines and tools from the museum's collection.
- The Annual Scout Display: This yearly exhibit shows off the museum's collection of items related to Scouting.
Who Was Elman W. Campbell?
Elman W. Campbell was the person who helped start this museum. He was born on April 11, 1905, near Mount Albert, Ontario. He went to Newmarket High School and later studied chemical engineering at the University of Toronto.
Sadly, Elman Campbell lost his eyesight in 1928 due to a series of accidents. Despite this, he owned a shop called Campbell Stationery and China Shop from 1934 to 1974. During this time, he collected many of the first items for the museum. He was also key in setting up the museum in 1981, with help from Ray Twinney, who was the mayor of Newmarket at the time. From 1978 to 1982, Elman Campbell was the president of the Newmarket Historical Society.
The Museum's Homes Over Time
The Elman W. Campbell Museum has been in a few different buildings since it first opened.
First Location: Old Fire Hall
When the museum first opened in 1982, it was on the top floor of the Old Fire Hall. This building is located at 140 Main Street South.
Second Location: Timothy Street
In October 1990, the museum moved to 543 Timothy Street. This new spot had more space and better parking, which was a big help.
Current Home: North York Registry Office
Since 1996, the museum has been in the building that used to be the North York Registry Office. This historic building was built in 1884. It has a special design called Classical Revival style. In 1987, it was recognized as an important historical and architectural site under the Ontario Heritage Act.
The building was used as a registry office from when it was built until 1980. That's where important records were kept. After that, the records moved to a new court building. The building was then used for the offices of York Region until 1993. Today, the museum shares the building with the Newmarket Historical Society Archives and Heritage Newmarket.
