The South Dumfries Historical Society was founded in 2003 to assume the operation of the St. George Museum & Archives that had been set up by the St. George Trade & Tourism Association. Our mission is to “preserve, present, and promote the history of the people and places of the former South Dumfries Township.”
The Society is located in the St. George Memorial Hall building, a former commercial b
uilding that was constructed in 1891 as the Howell Block. In 1925, the building was donated to the community by Mrs. Louise Kitchen for use as a community hall and memorial to the local citizens who served in the Great War. The Hall contained at various times meeting rooms, an auditorium and stage, a radio station, a library, and a post office. It was operated by a board of trustees until the 1950s, when the property was deeded to the Township so the Hall would be eligible for grants for improvements. In 2009, the County of Brant, which had become the owner after the elimination of township governments in the municipality, declared that the Memorial Hall was surplus to the needs in the village and the Society successfully negotiated to become the new owners. The Society now maintains the Memorial Hall as a memorial to the local men and women who have served in the armed forces, as a community hall, and as the St. George Museum & Archives.
