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Established | 1979 |
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Location | King City, Ontario, Canada |
Coordinates | 43°55′25″N79°33′02″W / 43.923615°N 79.550564°W |
Type | Municipal museum |
Key holdings | Artifacts associated with township history |
Collection size | 1800 |
Owner | King Township |
The King Heritage & Cultural Centre in King City, Ontario, Canada is a local history museum for the township of King at 2920 King Road.
It was previously known as Kinghorn Museum, and is located on what was once known as Kinghorn, now subsumed by King City. Its name was changed to King Township Museum when its operation was transferred from the King Township Historical Society to the municipal government of King in 2000, and to its current name in 2014. It is operated by the King Township Community Services Department. [1]
The Museum is affiliated with the Canadian Museums Association (CMA), the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN), and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
The King Heritage & Cultural Centre houses the King Township Historical Society, Arts Society King, the township archives, the township museum collection and two exhibition galleries, a performance hall, and four historic buildings.
The museum consists of a building which houses the majority of collections held. This building was originally built in 1861 as the site of the Kinghorn School SS #23. [1] It was updated and expanded in 1958 and again in 1963, [2] and purchased by the township in 1978. [1] The township gave operational control of the building to the King Township Historical Society, which established the museum in 1979 and opened it in 1982. [1] The museum was operated on a volunteer basis until 2001, when the township municipal government assumed control of the museum. [3] The government established a management board, to which individuals are appointed by the township council. [4]
In 2012, a 749 square feet (69.6 m2) addition was built by the real estate development company Genview Homes, which leased it and used it as its sales office for a development adjacent to the museum grounds [1] in exchange for repairing or upgrading damaged parts of the building. [5] The flat, leaky roof was rebuilt as a peaked roof. [5] Once vacated by Genview, the space may be used for various services, such as a lecture hall with a capacity of 60 to 80 guests. [6]
On the grounds of the 2.5 acre property [1] owned by the museum are several heritage sites. The King Township Historical Society raised funds to acquire and move King Station from Black Creek Pioneer Village to the grounds in 1989, [1] where it now fronts King Road. It was the original railway station building of Springhill (now King City), and believed to be the oldest surviving railway station in Canada, built by the Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway in 1852 and first served passengers in 1853. [7] [8] The single-storey board and batten structure was in poor shape by then, and restoration began soon after to repair the damage. [1] It was painted green and grey after the initial restoration, [8] and is now painted cream yellow with green trim. It is the only surviving station building of the original Ontario, Simcoe and Huron Railway buildings. [9]
The other heritage building is the King Christian Church built in 1851 by local community members with Quaker and Loyalist backgrounds. [10] It was renamed to the King Emmanuel Baptist Church in 1931 and permanently closed in 1978. [1] It was moved from its original location at Kettleby Road and Jane Street to the museum grounds in 1982. [1]
In August 2017, Laskay Hall was moved to the site from its original location in Laskay. [11] It will be used for cultural programs such as art, music, dance, and theatre; an event venue for Laskay residents; a performing arts space; and as an additional exhibit for the museum. [11] A basement will eventually be built for it, which will be used for storage by the museum and Arts Society King. [11]
The site also contains a dredge built in the 1970s that was used to clear the canals of the Holland Marsh until the 1990s, and was obtained by the museum in 2001. [12]
The museum collection contains over 1,800 artifacts associated with the township's history, such as books, clothing, tools, and other household items. [1]
King Heritage & Cultural Centre operates a variety of March break and summer camps, [13] and established an Art Camp and Puppet Theatre Camp in 2006. Since 2006, the museum has hosted Music at the Museum, a weekly concert showcasing local musical talent.
Works of local and regional artists are also exhibited by the museum. [14] [15]
The museum conducts several annual events, including a trunk sale, a fundraising antique appraisal, an appreciation barbecue for its volunteers, and a garden tea hosted by the Nobleton and King City Horticultural Society at the beginning of summer. [16] It participates in Doors Open and the Arts Society of King studio tour, and hosts Christmas and Halloween celebrations. [3]
The church may be rented for small weddings. [17]
One-time events hosted by the museum include a reenactment of the 1837 Upper Canada Rebellion, retracing the route of the rebels from Lloydtown to Toronto. [18] The six-hour tour stopped at the rebel statue in Lloydtown, Gibson House in North York, and Mackenzie House in Toronto. [18]
The most famous person associated with the museum is Walter Rolling, who taught at the schoolhouse for over 40 years. The school was originally one room, but was expanded later. In the late 1970s, the school was converted into what is now the King Heritage & Cultural Centre.
In 2012, the museum board undertook a program to create a 5-10 year strategic business plan to replace the ad-hoc volunteer administration plan. [3] As part of the project, physical accessibility to the museum will be improved and business hours extended. [19]
It will also change the administrative structure to eliminate board appointments by the township council, replacing the board with a community museum board. [19] [4]
In late 2011, the museum received a bequest of Can$ 400,000. [20]
Aurora is a town in central York Region in the Greater Toronto Area, within the Golden Horseshoe of Southern Ontario, Canada. It is located north of the City of Richmond Hill and is partially situated on the Oak Ridges Moraine. In the Canada 2021 Census, the municipal population of Aurora was the 92nd largest in Canada, compared to 95th for the 2016 Census and 97th for the 2006 Census. Aurora is twinned with Leksand, Sweden.
Newmarket is a town and regional seat of the Regional Municipality of York in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is part of Greater Toronto in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The name stems from the fact that the settlement was a "New Market", in contrast to York as the Old Market.
The Regional Municipality of York, also called York Region, is a regional municipality in Southern Ontario, Canada, between Lake Simcoe and Toronto. The region was established after the passing of then Bill 102, An Act to Establish The Regional Municipality of York, in 1970. It replaced the former York County in 1971, and is part of the Greater Toronto Area and the inner ring of the Golden Horseshoe. The regional government is headquartered in Newmarket.
King is a township in York Region north of Toronto, within the Greater Toronto Area in Ontario, Canada.
The Township of Woolwich is a rural township in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, considered as a municipality. The Township is located in the northeast part of Waterloo Region and is made up of 10 small communities, with Elmira, Ontario the largest and St. Jacobs, Ontario the second largest. The population at the time of the 2021 Census was 26,999, up from the 2016 population of 25,006. Waterloo Region is still home to the largest population of Old Order Mennonites in Canada, particularly in the areas around St Jacobs and Elmira. They are often seen on the local roads using their traditional horse and buggy transportation; many also use horses to pull the implements in their farm fields.
Oro-Medonte is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, on the northwestern shores of Lake Simcoe in Simcoe County.
King City is an unincorporated Canadian community in the township of King, Ontario, located 40 kilometres (25 mi) north of Toronto. It is the largest community in King township, with 2,730 dwellings and a population of 8,396 as of the 2021 Canadian census.
Schomberg is an unincorporated village in northwestern King, Ontario, Canada. It is located north of the Oak Ridges Moraine and south of the Holland River.
Laskay is an unincorporated rural community in King Township, York Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada. It is west of King City and Highway 400, and south of the King Road—Weston Road intersection.
Lloydtown is a hamlet located in King Township, Ontario, Canada. It is often associated with the surrounding and larger Schomberg, though it has its own unique characteristics and heritage.
Eaton Hall is a large house in King City, Ontario, Canada, built in the Norman style for Lady Eaton in 1938–39 on a 700-acre (2.8 km²) parcel of land. Lady Eaton and her husband, Sir John Craig Eaton acquired the land in 1920 and 1922 on recommendation from their friend Sir Henry Pellatt, who owned the nearby Mary Lake property. Lady Eaton moved into Eaton Hall three years after selling her city mansion, Ardwold. The house is adjacent to a body of water named Lake Jonda, and nestled within the temperate forests of King Township. Upon completion, it contained 72 rooms. It became a beloved gathering place for the Eaton Family, owners of the Eaton's department stores based in Toronto.
The King Township Public Library is a public library system that serves King Township, Ontario in Canada. It consists of four branches located in King City, Nobleton, Schomberg, and Ansnorveldt.
King City GO Station is a train and bus station in the GO Transit network located in King City, Ontario in Canada. It also serves the nearby communities of Nobleton, Oak Ridges, the northern parts of Maple, and other communities in King Township. It is a stop on the Barrie line train service.
Aurora GO Station is a railway station and bus station in the GO Transit network located on Wellington Street East between Yonge Street and Bayview Avenue in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is a stop on the Barrie line train service, and connects with York Region Transit local bus routes, and the GO Express Bus between Newmarket Bus Terminal and Union Station Bus Terminal.
Newmarket GO Station is a train station in the GO Transit network located in the Old Davis Tannery Centre on the north side of Davis Drive East in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, and is a stop on the Barrie line train service. It is a little over two kilometres east of the Newmarket Bus Terminal, at Davis Drive West and Eagle Street, which is a terminus for GO Bus, York Region Transit and Viva BRT services.
The Schomberg Fair is an annual agricultural fair held in late May in Schomberg, a community in the township of King in Ontario, Canada. It starts on the Thursday following Victoria Day, and runs through to Sunday. It is staged at the Schomberg Agricultural Fairgrounds, also known as the Schomberg Fairgrounds, which is adjacent to the Holland River.
Kenilworth is an unincorporated rural community in Wellington North Township, Wellington County, Ontario, Canada. Kenilworth was located in Arthur Township until 1999.
Jesse Lloyd was the founder of Lloydtown, Ontario and a leader in the Upper Canada Rebellion of 1837. Born in Springfield Township, Pennsylvania, he was the third son of Quakers William Lloyd and Susannah Heacock. The Lloyds, who were United Empire Loyalists, possibly came to Canada at Niagara in 1788 but soon returned to the United States. They likely immigrated permanently to Upper Canada in 1808. Upon arrival, they crossed the Niagara gorge and migrated north to settle in the 10th concession of King Township.
The municipal government of King, Ontario consists of the mayor and six councillors who are elected to office during the municipal elections in Ontario or who are acclaimed to office because their candidacy is unopposed. It also includes civic staff responsible for the operational affairs of the township.