Brief History of The Stratford Perth Museum

Although the Stratford Perth Museum was incorporated as a not-for-profit in 1997, the museum’s collection dates back to the beginning of the 20th century when the Library Act of 1902 permitted local libraries to collect and display museum collections. The collection has continued to grow over the years and has been housed and exhibited in a number of homes which include Fryfogel Tavern, a factory on King Street in Stratford and the Stratford Normal School, adjacent to the Festival Theatre. In 2008, having outgrown the Stratford Normal School, the Stratford Perth Museum Association purchased its present 7 acres on the old Huron Road. The site is complemented by an 1870 Victorian buff brick home, woodlots and trails – a home with room to grow and endless potential to interpret our rich cultural heritage and to deliver indoor and outdoor programming.

Site and Features

The Museum’s 5 acre site is complemented by an 1870 Victorian buff brick home, woodlots and trails – a home with room to grow and endless potential to interpret our rich cultural heritage and to deliver indoor and outdoor programming. The home was built for Thomas Holliday, (1832-1914) who emigrated from Yorkshire England to Canada in 1849 at the age of 17. He moved to Stratford in 1862 and worked with William Worth as a butcher. In 1867, Holliday bought the Corn Exchange Hotel in Market Square, Stratford. In 1880, he replaced the building with the grand Royal Hotel. In 1869, Holliday purchased 100 acres on the Huron Road and the following year he built a large buff brick home, replacing the 1854 log home that burned down that year. Thomas and Mary Holliday raised 10 children in this home. The family sold the property to Wesley Thurston in 1946. This is the present location of the Stratford Perth Museum. The Museum’s collection structure sits on the footprint of the Thurston horse barn.