Oshawa Museum facts for kids
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| Established | May 21, 1960 |
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| Location | Oshawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Type | Historical museum |
| Collection size | over 40,000 |
| Visitors | over 10,000 |
The Oshawa Museum is a cool place in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, where you can learn all about the city's past! It's like a time capsule that shows you what life was like from the 1400s all the way to today. The museum also keeps important old documents safe. Every building at the museum is special and protected by the Ontario Heritage Act, which means they are important parts of history.
Contents
Discovering Oshawa's Past
The group that runs the Oshawa Museum is called the Oshawa Historical Society. They started in 1957 because people in Oshawa wanted to save and share their city's history. With help from the city and the government, they began as "The Oshawa and District Historical Society."
In 1959, the City of Oshawa let them use three old settler homes near the harbour. These homes became the community museum. The first part of the museum opened in 1960. It was called the Henry House Museum. This old house, built around 1840, was fixed up to look like a home from the 1870s. It was filled with old furniture and artifacts from that time.
In 1964, another old family home, Robinson House (built around 1856), was restored. It opened to the public in 1969 after people raised money to fix it. Many old cottages by the lake were being torn down in the 1980s. So, it was suggested that Guy House, a farmhouse from about 1845, should also be saved. Guy House opened in 1985, completing the three main parts of the museum.
In 1988, the society changed its name to "The Oshawa Historical Society." The 1990s were exciting, with popular traveling exhibits like the Royal Ontario Museum's Discovery of the Titanic. The museum launched its first website in 1998. Also in 1998, the museum changed its name to the "Oshawa Community Museum and Archives."
Sadly, in 2003, a fire damaged some office space and archives in Guy House. Luckily, less than two percent of the museum's collection was burned. In 2005, Stephen Harper, who later became Prime Minister, visited the museum. In 2016, the museum changed its name again and is now known simply as the 'Oshawa Museum.'
The Museum Buildings
The Oshawa Museum has three main buildings: Guy House, Henry House, and Robinson House. All of them were built in the early to mid-1800s. They help tell the story of Oshawa's local history. All three buildings are still on their original spots. The museum uses these buildings for exhibits, special events, and offices.
Guy House (Built around 1845)
Guy House is where the museum's offices are located. Unlike Henry House and Robinson House, Guy House is a simple wooden farmhouse. It was built by an early settler named Samuel Phillips. In 1861, he sold it to James Odgers Guy, who was its most famous resident.
Henry House (Built around 1840)
Henry House was built by Thomas Henry around 1840. Thomas Henry was a harbourmaster (someone who manages a harbour), a farmer, and a minister. The house was built in the style of a Regency cottage. It looks like a typical Victorian era home, with special features like limestone from Kingston, Ontario and a wood-shingled roof. This house was the first part of the museum to open. Today, it shows what daily life was like for the Henry family.
Robinson House (Built around 1856)
Robinson House was built in 1856 for the Robinson family. John and Ruth Robinson moved to the Oshawa area in 1840. Their family owned the house until 1965, when it was given to the Oshawa and District Historical Society. Robinson House shows what a typical family home looked like in that era. It was restored and opened to the public in 1969.
The house has a unique Dutch-colonial style with a two-level open veranda. This style was not common in Upper Canada (what Ontario was called back then). Robinson House has different exhibits that show Oshawa's role during the Victorian era and the early 1900s.
Exploring the Exhibits
Many of the museum's exhibits are found in both Robinson House and Henry House.
Permanent Exhibits
A Carrying Place: Oshawa's Indigenous Story
This exhibit is on the second floor of Robinson House. It tells the story of Oshawa's Indigenous peoples. It shares discoveries from two archaeological digs in Oshawa. These digs found evidence of the ancestral Wendat who lived here from 1400 to 1470 CE.
Archaeologists found pottery pieces, signs of old settlements, and farming methods. Artifacts from these digs are on display. The exhibit also shows traditional travel routes and highlights today's Indigenous community. It helps visitors connect with the past and understand the present Indigenous community.
Henry House Exhibit
This exhibit shows what life was like for the Henry family in the 1870s during the Victorian era. Some items in the exhibit belonged to the Henry family. Other items belonged to different people who lived in the Oshawa area. You can see a study (where Thomas Henry worked), a parlour for guests, a dining hall, a kitchen, and the main bedroom.
Drive Shed
The Drive Shed opened in 2009 to celebrate the Oshawa Historical Society's 50th anniversary. It works with the Henry House exhibit by showing old carriages, buggies, and other large items. The collection includes two McLaughlin cutters (from around 1900) and a Piano Box buggy (from around 1900). Each item in this timber-framed building is connected to Oshawa's history of making things.
Temporary Exhibits
The museum also has temporary exhibits that change often. These exhibits show different parts of local culture and history. They change two to three times a year, allowing the museum to show many different stories from Oshawa's past.
Tours and Special Events
Tours
You can explore the museum in a few ways: with a guide, on your own, or with an audio tour. The museum also offers walking tours of different places in Oshawa. Popular tours include downtown Oshawa, the harbour area, and Oshawa's Union Cemetery.
Special Events
The museum hosts many fun events throughout the year. These include Victorian teas, educational programs for children, lectures, photography contests, and seasonal events. They also have speaker series where experts talk about history.
