South Dumfries Historical Society

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South Dumfries Historical Society What's going on in heritage matters in South Dumfries, Brant County, and the surrounding area. "Our Community's Past Supports Our Future".

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 building 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.

10/24/2026

Thank you to the 5 humans and 1 well-behaved dog who participated in our last History Walk of St. George for 2026!

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Here's a photo that will be 99 years old tomorrow. Employees of Malcolm's Condensing on Oct. 25, 1927. Malcolm's moved t...
10/24/2026

Here's a photo that will be 99 years old tomorrow. Employees of Malcolm's Condensing on Oct. 25, 1927. Malcolm's moved their business from Sheffield in 1907, setting up shop in a cheese factory built by John Richardson in 1892. They made a variety of dairy-related products there until 1926, when the building was destroyed by fire. A new plant was constructed soon afterwards, across the road from the St. George School, where production continued into the late 20th century. They eventually specialized in making condensed milk for use in producoing chocolate.

Today's Heritage Walk of St. George will be the last for 2026. Such a lovely day for a walk. Meet at the Museum at 2:00!
10/24/2026

Today's Heritage Walk of St. George will be the last for 2026. Such a lovely day for a walk. Meet at the Museum at 2:00!

S. Russell Trucking's "No. 4", 1931. Sam Russell lived on the farm where Russell Heights seniors' residence is now locat...
10/17/2026

S. Russell Trucking's "No. 4", 1931. Sam Russell lived on the farm where Russell Heights seniors' residence is now located. The truck was photographed at the Brantford War Memorial.

More photos from the St. George Viaduct!Here are two shots showing the aftermath of the October 28, 1916 wreck. The engi...
10/10/2026

More photos from the St. George Viaduct!
Here are two shots showing the aftermath of the October 28, 1916 wreck. The engine can be seen on the bridge with the tender sitting askew. A rail crane was brought in to set it back on the tracks. This was a freight train and there were no reported injuries, but several boxcars of oats and other foodstuffs were spread across the bank. There were rumours that some families in the area didn't buy lard for several years after the wreck, despite giuards having been deployed to secure the area.

10/10/2026

Our last Heritage Walking Tour of St. George for 2026 will be on Saturday Oct. 24 at 2 PM. Please meet at the Museum & Archives at 36 Main St. South.

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There have been lots of questions lately about the St. George Viaduct, the rail bridge over St. George Road south of the...
10/03/2026

There have been lots of questions lately about the St. George Viaduct, the rail bridge over St. George Road south of the village. Some time after the "Great Wreck" of 1889 the structure was upgraded with added supports and plate trusses. This enabled it to carry the heavier locomotives and freight cars that were coming into use. In this photo a crowd has gathered to watch as a crane car lowers a section of the new viaduct into place. The new steel supports are seen between the original stone ones, with temporary wooden bracing aslo in place. This photo was likely taken in the first decade of the twentieth century.

09/26/2026

Don't forget our Heritage Walking Tour of St. George leaves from the Museum & Archives (36 Main St. South) today at 2:00!

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Things are just a little more peaceful in St. George this weekend now that AppleFest has been put to bed for another yea...
09/26/2026

Things are just a little more peaceful in St. George this weekend now that AppleFest has been put to bed for another year. Well done to all of the volunteers that made it happen.
This picture from the archives shows Harry Nixon, our MPP and former Premier of Ontario, fishing in the Snowball Mill's outflow pond. This pond was located across Main St. from the mill, where the strip mall is now. A lot of fill went into that spot to bring teh ground up to a level where it could be uilt upon. behind Harry is the Ruseel farmhouse, now the location of Russell Heights seniors' residence.

It's AppleFest weekend in St. George!This map of South Dumfries Township is from the 1875 Illustrated Atlas of the Count...
09/20/2026

It's AppleFest weekend in St. George!
This map of South Dumfries Township is from the 1875 Illustrated Atlas of the County of Brant. The green shapes indicate orchard planting. Most of these were for home use rather than commercial operations. Consider how many of the farms had orchards and how farm families relied on their produce for survival. South Dumfries has one of the best soil and weather combinations for apples in all of Ontario!

Address

36 Main Street S
Brant, ON
N0E1N0

Opening Hours

11am - 2pm

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