A Short History of CDHS
Written by Ashley Harper for the 35th anniversary of CDHS (2019)
The Chesterville and District Historical Society had a very humble beginning. In the summer of 1983, Fred Cass, member of the Chesterville Rotary Club and former area MPP, was looking for a place to store nearly forty years worth of Rotary Bulletins that he had collected. He approached Rotary President Dale McNaughton with his situation.
A week later, Rotary members Robert Bennett, John Macaulay, and Jack Cross gathered to decide where to store these documents and anything else pertaining to the history of the Rotary. But they did not stop there - they envisioned somewhere not only to hold Rotary artifacts, but somewhere that the history of the village and surrounding district could be preserved for future generations. Their report to Rotary concluded with the following resolution:
“Whereas there is a need for a place to preserve all historical data and artifacts of Chesterville and district that have or may hereafter be accumulated; therefore, be it resolved that the Chesterville Rotary Club, along with any other interested group or individual, embark on the creation of a Chesterville and District Museum.”
And so the Chesterville Heritage Committee was born. Now, the community was ready for a museum.
Bob, John, and Jack suggested in their original report that the collection of artifacts be held in a heritage building, and the old Fire Hall on Victoria Street quickly became the favoured option. It had originally been built in 1867 as the Town Hall for Winchester Township, and had served the community in a variety of roles, including as a courthouse, police station, movie theatre, and fire hall. The hall had even briefly been used for winter training drills during WWI.
By the end of March 1984, the organization had a new home and a new name. The Village of Chesterville leased the Fire Hall to the Heritage Committee for $1.00, and just weeks later, the group renamed itself the Chesterville and District Historical Society.
The first executive was elected on 7 May 1984, following the completion of the constitution and by-laws. It consisted of President Bob Bennett, Vice President Rob Saunders, Secretary Christine St. John-McCadden, Treasurer Frank Cook, and Directors Margaret Casselman, Pat Coyne, Jack Cross, and John Macaulay. The Historical Society was incorporated through the Ontario Historical Society on 16 June 1984.
Since then, with the support of the community and grants from the provincial and federal government, the front of the building has been restored to its original appearance and the interior has been renovated to better serve as a museum. CDHS has hosted a myriad of events – house tours, cooking and essay contests, dinners, etc. Projects, such as interviews with older residents, recipe books, memorial trees, have been undertaken. Summer students have organized summer workshops for children and written self-guided tour books of the village.
In 35 years, the Chesterville and District Historical Society has accessioned thousands of items into its collection, and that number is constantly growing. Individually, these pieces tell the stories of families, businesses, and other organizations. Together, they tell the story of a community.
The executive and members are endlessly grateful for the support shown by the district over the years. The Historical Society has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and promoting the history of Chesterville and District for three and a half decades, and it will continue to serve the community for years to come.
A week later, Rotary members Robert Bennett, John Macaulay, and Jack Cross gathered to decide where to store these documents and anything else pertaining to the history of the Rotary. But they did not stop there - they envisioned somewhere not only to hold Rotary artifacts, but somewhere that the history of the village and surrounding district could be preserved for future generations. Their report to Rotary concluded with the following resolution:
“Whereas there is a need for a place to preserve all historical data and artifacts of Chesterville and district that have or may hereafter be accumulated; therefore, be it resolved that the Chesterville Rotary Club, along with any other interested group or individual, embark on the creation of a Chesterville and District Museum.”
And so the Chesterville Heritage Committee was born. Now, the community was ready for a museum.
Bob, John, and Jack suggested in their original report that the collection of artifacts be held in a heritage building, and the old Fire Hall on Victoria Street quickly became the favoured option. It had originally been built in 1867 as the Town Hall for Winchester Township, and had served the community in a variety of roles, including as a courthouse, police station, movie theatre, and fire hall. The hall had even briefly been used for winter training drills during WWI.
By the end of March 1984, the organization had a new home and a new name. The Village of Chesterville leased the Fire Hall to the Heritage Committee for $1.00, and just weeks later, the group renamed itself the Chesterville and District Historical Society.
The first executive was elected on 7 May 1984, following the completion of the constitution and by-laws. It consisted of President Bob Bennett, Vice President Rob Saunders, Secretary Christine St. John-McCadden, Treasurer Frank Cook, and Directors Margaret Casselman, Pat Coyne, Jack Cross, and John Macaulay. The Historical Society was incorporated through the Ontario Historical Society on 16 June 1984.
Since then, with the support of the community and grants from the provincial and federal government, the front of the building has been restored to its original appearance and the interior has been renovated to better serve as a museum. CDHS has hosted a myriad of events – house tours, cooking and essay contests, dinners, etc. Projects, such as interviews with older residents, recipe books, memorial trees, have been undertaken. Summer students have organized summer workshops for children and written self-guided tour books of the village.
In 35 years, the Chesterville and District Historical Society has accessioned thousands of items into its collection, and that number is constantly growing. Individually, these pieces tell the stories of families, businesses, and other organizations. Together, they tell the story of a community.
The executive and members are endlessly grateful for the support shown by the district over the years. The Historical Society has been dedicated to collecting, preserving, and promoting the history of Chesterville and District for three and a half decades, and it will continue to serve the community for years to come.
"Chesterville and District"
In our founding documents, the phrase "Chesterville and District" was not explicitly defined. Our organization has interpreted it to refer broadly to the Township of North Dundas and the surrounding communities, including but not limited to Winchester Springs, Elma, Dunbar, Grantley, and Finch. This term is used because of how interwoven the histories of the areas are.
North Dundas consists of the the historical townships of Winchester and Mountain and the villages of Winchester and Chesterville. Amalgamation took place in 1998.
Although we do collect information about communities outside of North Dundas, there are neighbouring organizations that are also dedicated to these areas:
North Dundas consists of the the historical townships of Winchester and Mountain and the villages of Winchester and Chesterville. Amalgamation took place in 1998.
Although we do collect information about communities outside of North Dundas, there are neighbouring organizations that are also dedicated to these areas:
- Osgoode Township Historical Society and Museum, covering the historical Township of Osgoode, formerly part of Carleton County, now part of the City of Ottawa.
- Historical Society of South Dundas, covering the historical townships of Williamsburg and Matilda and villages of Morrisburg and Iroquois in the county of Dundas.
- Dundas County Archives, covering the entire county of Dundas, including the historical townships of Winchester, Mountain, Williamsburg, and Matilda, along with the villages of Winchester, Chesterville, Morrisburg, and Iroquois.
The 2021-2022 ExecutivePresident: Caroline Roberts
Vice President: Gerry Johnson Secretary: Kim McInnis Treasurer: Verne McMillan Past President: Ashley Harper DirectorsCarol Goddard
Murray Inch Lester McInnis Gail Parker Ian Reveler |