Ross Memorial Museum facts for kids
The Ross Memorial Museum is a special place in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. It's a museum filled with beautiful art and objects collected by a couple named Sarah Juliette Ross and Henry Phipps Ross. They loved collecting things, especially decorative arts. After they passed away, they left their amazing collection and the house to the town of St. Andrews so everyone could enjoy it. The museum is located in a lovely old house built in the early 1800s.
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The Ross Family's Story
Henry Phipps Ross and his wife, Sarah Juliette Ross, were from the United States. They first visited St. Andrews in 1902 for a picnic and loved it so much they bought a house nearby in Chamcook. They named their new home Rossmont. It was mostly their summer house, and they spent several months there every year until 1945.
Collecting Treasures
The Rosses were very serious about collecting. They gathered many pieces of furniture made in New Brunswick in the early 1800s. These pieces were crafted by skilled cabinetmakers like Thomas Nisbet and Alexander Lawrence.
They also loved to travel and explore the world. In 1925, they went on one of the first "around the world" cruises! They visited places in Asia and Africa in the 1930s. They even drove all the way from New Brunswick to California in 1919. On all these trips, they collected unique items from the local areas. They brought these treasures back to their home at Rossmont. The museum has a very large collection of beautiful Oriental carpets, which were a special interest for the Rosses.
Friends and Artists
The Rosses had many artist friends, especially in California, where they lived for some time. The museum's collection includes many artworks by artists like Mary Curtis Richardson and William Raymond Eaton. George Horne Russell, an artist from Montreal who had a studio in St. Andrews, was a close friend of theirs. Many of his paintings are also part of the museum's collection.
A Museum Dream
In 1938, the Rosses bought another house in the middle of St. Andrews called Chestnut Hall. This large brick house was built in 1824 by a man named Harris Hatch. The Rosses never lived in Chestnut Hall themselves. They bought it with a special plan: they wanted it to become a museum for their amazing collection.
Opening the Museum
Juliette and Henry Ross both passed away in 1945, just a few days apart. In their wills, they made sure their friends and staff were taken care of. After that, the second part of their will came into effect. This led to the Ross Memorial Museum opening its doors in 1980. They also helped build the Ross Memorial Library behind the museum and a special wing at the hospital in nearby St. Stephen.
Visiting the Museum
The Ross Memorial Museum hosts special events throughout the year.
Annual Celebrations
- They have open house receptions on Canada Day and New Brunswick Day from 2 PM to 4 PM.
- There's also a Christmas Open House for four days in early December. You can check their official website for the exact dates each year.
Museum Connections
The Ross Memorial Museum is part of several groups that connect museums and cultural places.
- FundyCulture Museum Network
- Canadian Museums Association
- Association Museums New Brunswick
- Canadian Heritage Information Network
