A former shop on Whitby’s Brock Street seems like an unlikely location for a museum, but inside this small space the Whitby Historical Society’s dedicated volunteers have done an admirable job of preserving the town’s heritage.
With all the antique furniture and china, it could almost be mistaken for an antique story, but then Whitby Historical Society president Margaret Boyce starts to share some of the stories behind these pieces, it become clear that these old sofas, vintage piano and Victorian odds and ends, have some powerful stories to tell.
I was drawn immediately to this wonderfully ornate piano made in Whitby in 1868 by Joseph Rainer. “We’re told it took first prize in the 1878 World’s Fair,” said Margaret, as I admired the mother-of-pearl inlay, the gleaming gold leaf and the carved beavers, maple leaves, cardinals and blue jays. “Joseph Rainer was making one piano a week but he took three months to do this one,” added Margaret.
The piano wasn’t the only luxury artifact. “From 1840 to 1890 Whitby was one of the wealthiest places in Ontario,” thanks to its many industries. Among them Canada’s first clock factory, an organ factory, two furniture factories, a blanket factory, a buckle factory (for cart horse hardware) and award-winning piano factory.
With all that industry it’s not surprising to learn that the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) visited the notable Perry family in Whitby, the same family that gave its name to the Lake Scugog town of Port Perry. This is the chair the Prince said to have used during his visit.
Housing some 9,000 artifacts, this compact museum has plenty to show its visitors, from stained glass windows to the Perry family stamp. But the best part is hearing the stories that bring these objects to life. The historical society stages several special events throughout the year, including a Christmas tea in mid-December.
Betty Zyvatkauskas - Travel Writer
Posts by Betty Z
- 06 Nov 2009 Storefront history in Whitby, in Brock&Cultural
Comments by Betty Z
No comments by this author.
