By Anna Krentz, Archives Manager
The Charlotte County Archives owes our existence to a storm. Fifty years ago, in 1975, winds damaged the attic and chimney of a historic building on St. Andrews’ Water Street, known then as the Masonic Hall, and today as Drewhaven. When repairmen accessed the long-sealed loft in the building’s attic, they uncovered a treasure trove: thousands and thousands of nineteenth-century records, stashed in trunks and piled in stacks.
The Masonic Lodge knew who to call. Since 1961, the Charlotte County Historical Society been connecting local history enthusiasts under the leadership of Dr. J. Carl Medcof. Immediately the Society recognized the value of the find, which ran rich with unique resources on the histories of Charlotte County. For years the CCHS had casually collected historical materials, and this discovery was the spark needed to finally build a dedicated local archives. On a foundation of government grants and knowledge shared by the Provincial Archives, they embarked on the project of collecting and caring for the documentary heritage of Charlotte County. A resolution on December 10, 1975 made it official. The Charlotte County Archives was born.
A team of dedicated volunteers, soon led by newly appointed archivist Dr. Elinor Mawson, quickly got to work. At first, lodgings were temporary, and fleeting: rooms in Vincent Massey Elementary, the Post Office, the library, the Ross Museum. Finally the stars aligned and the Archives secured permanent quarters in the recently decommissioned Charlotte County Gaol. After extensive renovations by the Province, including the repurposing of the former second storey cells as a state-of-the-art, climate controlled archival storage vault, the Archives took up its new home in 1983. Perhaps surprisingly, the site is a perfect one for an archives. The coldness, darkness, and security that humans dread are ideal for the long-term preservation of historical records.
In the decades since, from the ten linear metres of material found in that attic, our collection has grown to over 170 linear metres. We have letters, photographs, videos, ledgers, maps, posters, paintings, tapes, diaries, legal papers, scrapbooks, and so much more. Through these holdings we preserve experiences of local life at all levels. The formal correspondence of lawyers share space with family albums filled with snapshots of beloved pets. Diaries of rural farmers join manuscripts of plays by Grace Helen Mowat.
Our collections brim with stories from our community’s past. We care for the materials that hold these stories not only so they endure, but so they can be discovered. These records are yours to explore, whether you are an avid historian or a high school student. We invite you to make use of them in any way that is meaningful to you. Dig for ancestors. Draw inspiration. Uncover forgotten stories. Make new meanings.
For fifty years, we have endured thanks to community support, without any regular government funding and sometimes against the odds. Our goal for the next fifty is to keep building our community relationships, as well as to foster new ones. We believe archives are for everyone.
Whether you are an old friend of ours, an intrigued new learner, or a well-wisher generally, we invite you to think of us on our December 10th birthday, and perhaps raise a toast to fifty years of the Charlotte County Archives.
