On June 21st, the Hemmingford Archives signed a deed of gift from the St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Congregation.
The non-profit organization, which has existed for the past 25 years, will graduate from working in a small room at Hemmingford Elementary School to taking up approximately 3,850 square feet of space in their new location. Run entirely by volunteers, the organization is thrilled to finally have an official and permanent hub to call home. From the basement of the town hall to the local elementary school in 2003, the Archives have lacked a permanent placement. While the New Frontiers School Board made the association’s experience at the school wonderfully positive, the Archives have been looking for the space to develop projects and collections.
Presently an empty building, the former church hall at 517 Champlain Avenue has seen little use over the past decade—but that is about to change. With grants, local fund-raising and determination, the building will be transformed into a local history center. Benefitting from a sound structure, the hall is ideally located, making it a perfect platform for the Archives. In addition, the building will be modernized in order to meet archival standards, as well as offer complete accessibility on both floors in order to accommodate the physically handicapped, older volunteers and clients. It is important to note that the new front facade design will complement the nearby church, keeping with the character of Hemmingford.
The near future promises to be very busy for the Board of Directors, which has a mandate to act as trustee of the historical legacy of Hemmingford and the surrounding region. Acting on the belief that the best place to preserve any legacy is in its own place of origin, the volunteers have donated vast amounts of time to research, collect, preserve and organize the growing collections since the 1990s, while the community has donated funds to ensure the charitable non-profit’s sustainability.
According to a recent media release prepared by the organization, the Archives will be renewing its efforts to reach out to the surrounding communities in order to better realize the potentials of shared heritage. “The aim is to provide an inviting environment for the public to research family or regional history with the assistance of knowledgeable staff, and to be a venue to host history-related events,” reads the article. With a heritage programming that includes oral history interviews, history writing and publishing, activities for students and adults, demonstrations, speakers, exhibits, and liaison with projects with other historical societies, the new facility holds great potential.
Archives president Mary Ducharme is pleased with the new site. “In this period of growth, we will have many challenges ahead of us and the Board of Directors stands ready to deal with them. But we need the tools to go forward. Those tools will come from the community, from people like yourself, so feel free to contact us!” she said about the new location.
The organization is actively seeking volunteers to aid in this incredible new endeavour.
