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 old art and furniture. The museum is inside a lovely house built a long time ago, in the early 1800s. A kind couple, Sarah Juliette Ross and Henry Phipps Ross, collected all these amazing items. They left their collection and the house to the town of St. Andrews so everyone could enjoy them.
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A Look Back: The Museum's Story
Who Were Henry and Sarah Ross?
Henry Phipps Ross and his wife, Sarah Juliette Ross, were from the United States. They first visited St. Andrews in 1902 for a picnic. They loved the area so much that they bought a house and land nearby in Chamcook. They called their new home "Rossmont." The Rosses used Rossmont mainly as a summer house. They spent several months there each year until 1945.
What Did They Collect?
The Rosses were very serious about collecting. They gathered many pieces of furniture made in New Brunswick in the early 1800s. Some famous furniture makers whose work they collected include Thomas Nisbet and Alexander Lawrence.
The Rosses also loved to travel and explore. In 1925, they went on one of the first "around the world" cruises. They visited places in Asia and Africa in the 1930s. In 1919, they even drove all the way from New Brunswick to California! On all these trips, they collected local items. They brought these treasures back to Rossmont. Oriental carpets were a special favorite of the Rosses. The museum has a very large collection of these beautiful rugs.
Their Love for Art
Henry and Sarah Ross had many artist friends, especially in California, where they lived for some time. The museum has many artworks by artists like Mary Curtis Richardson and William Raymond Eaton. George Horne Russell, an artist from Montreal, was a close friend. He had a studio in St. Andrews, and many of his paintings are part of the museum's collection.
How the Museum Began
In 1938, the Rosses bought another house in St. Andrews called Chestnut Hall. This large brick house was built in 1824. 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.
In 1945, Juliette and Henry Ross both passed away within a few days of each other. In their wills, they made sure many 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. A library, called the Ross Memorial Library, was also built behind the museum. Plus, a new part of the hospital in nearby St. Stephen was built and named the Ross Memorial Wing.
Special Events at the Museum
The Ross Memorial Museum holds special events throughout the year.
- Annual Open House Receptions: These happen from 2 PM to 4 PM on Canada Day and New Brunswick Day.
- Christmas Open House: This special event takes place for four days in early December. You can check the museum's official website for the exact dates each year.
