FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Who is involved?
Board of Directors
Board Chair: Marie Jones
Treasurer: Peter Hunt
Secretary: Bonnie Garrett
Evelyn Conn
Susan Layard
Therese Hunt
Staff
Archivist: Karolina Brozy
Board Chair: Marie Jones
Treasurer: Peter Hunt
Secretary: Bonnie Garrett
Evelyn Conn
Susan Layard
Therese Hunt
Staff
Archivist: Karolina Brozy
What is in your collection?
Mandate: The Port Hope Archives exists to collect and preserve archival materials which illustrate the growth and development of the Municipality of Port Hope, or which pertain in whole or in part to activities within the geographic boundaries of the Municipality of Port Hope.
Our collection includes:
Photographs
Business records (i.e. ledgers, minute books, etc.)
Genealogical resources (i.e. family histories, bibles)
Municipal records
Personal papers collections
Maps & Blueprints
Local history publications
For more on our resources available, click here.
Our collection includes:
Photographs
Business records (i.e. ledgers, minute books, etc.)
Genealogical resources (i.e. family histories, bibles)
Municipal records
Personal papers collections
Maps & Blueprints
Local history publications
For more on our resources available, click here.
What is the history of your building?
17 Mill Street North was built in 1871 as the Registry Office for East Durham. The building is currently used as the Port Hope Archives. The building’s architecture follows the uniform plan approved by Order-in-Council, 9 March 1868. The building is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.
In 1868, Kivas Tully (1820-1905) was appointed the first Architect and Engineer of Public Works for the Province of Ontario. In this capacity, he produced the familiar design for many of the registry offices across the province.
The architectural plans were lithographed and supplied by the Commissioner of Public Works for distribution to municipal councils. According to the Report of the Commissioner of Public Works for 1869, only three registry offices had been completed by that date: St. Catherines, Cobourg and Pembroke.
“These uncomplicated looking buildings are decidedly complex structurally, as they were intended to be fireproof. The doors, windowsills and lintels were cast iron. Within a rectangular plan, three semi-cylindrical vaults of brick – technically barrel vaults – were constructed side by side, each nearly 18 feet high with roughly 2 feet thick walls. These were arranged to run across the width of the structure, generally with access through the first chamber to the clerk’s office in the second and with storage in the third. The location of the separate compartments, though not their form, is often indicated on the sidewalls into three bays. The front-end wall is generally treated as a blind arcade enclosing round-arched openings and fully articulated orders, with trim in stone or patterned brick. The arcade is expressive but not, as one might think a ghost of the vaulted interior, as the faults are arranged transversely.” [“A Short History on the Design of County Registry Offices”, The Land Registrar Volume 6, No. 1, October 1981.]
In 1868, Kivas Tully (1820-1905) was appointed the first Architect and Engineer of Public Works for the Province of Ontario. In this capacity, he produced the familiar design for many of the registry offices across the province.
The architectural plans were lithographed and supplied by the Commissioner of Public Works for distribution to municipal councils. According to the Report of the Commissioner of Public Works for 1869, only three registry offices had been completed by that date: St. Catherines, Cobourg and Pembroke.
“These uncomplicated looking buildings are decidedly complex structurally, as they were intended to be fireproof. The doors, windowsills and lintels were cast iron. Within a rectangular plan, three semi-cylindrical vaults of brick – technically barrel vaults – were constructed side by side, each nearly 18 feet high with roughly 2 feet thick walls. These were arranged to run across the width of the structure, generally with access through the first chamber to the clerk’s office in the second and with storage in the third. The location of the separate compartments, though not their form, is often indicated on the sidewalls into three bays. The front-end wall is generally treated as a blind arcade enclosing round-arched openings and fully articulated orders, with trim in stone or patterned brick. The arcade is expressive but not, as one might think a ghost of the vaulted interior, as the faults are arranged transversely.” [“A Short History on the Design of County Registry Offices”, The Land Registrar Volume 6, No. 1, October 1981.]
"Port Hope Archives" Sketch by Christine Brooks, 2014
How are you funded?
The funding received by the Port Hope Archives is divided into four categories: grants, municipal funding, memberships and fundraising.
The Port Hope Archives has been privileged to receive funding provided by the Municipality of Port Hope, Employment and Social Development Canada and the Heritage Organization Development grant through the provincial government. We have received past funding from the Achitectural Conservancy, Port Hope Branch and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Archives depends on the renewal of annual memberships, which assists the PHA in covering operating costs, particularly the purchase of archival safe containers and materials to house and protect the collection.
To do your part in preserving the Municipality of Port Hope’s history, contact the Archives to take out an annual membership.
Donations from private individuals and businesses are always welcomed and may be made at the Archives by cheque, cash and money order. Tax receipts are issued for donations of $25 or more.
For more information on our funding, click here.
The Port Hope Archives has been privileged to receive funding provided by the Municipality of Port Hope, Employment and Social Development Canada and the Heritage Organization Development grant through the provincial government. We have received past funding from the Achitectural Conservancy, Port Hope Branch and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. The Archives depends on the renewal of annual memberships, which assists the PHA in covering operating costs, particularly the purchase of archival safe containers and materials to house and protect the collection.
To do your part in preserving the Municipality of Port Hope’s history, contact the Archives to take out an annual membership.
Donations from private individuals and businesses are always welcomed and may be made at the Archives by cheque, cash and money order. Tax receipts are issued for donations of $25 or more.
For more information on our funding, click here.
