The Archives began January 1972 as the Perth County Archives based initially on the Orr Collection and the archival material from the Perth County Historical Collection. Now known as Stratford-Perth Archives it has become over the years the principal local history research centre in Perth County.
It was first housed in the basement of the Perth County Court House. In May 1981 it moved to the old Registry Office building at 24 Andrew St. Stratford. Two other branches of the archives had also opened, one in the Town of Listowel in 1975 and the other in the Town of Mitchell in 1984.
It soon began to outgrow all three branches and needed a larger facility more suitable for preserving the Archives collections. In April 2014 the ground was broke just outside of Stratford and in June 2015 the Stratford-Perth Archives was opened its doors to the public at #4273 Line 34, R. R. #5 Stratford.
The facility is a 10,000 square foot state of the art, fully accessible building. The Reading Room offers a large space for researchers with Wi-Fi and computer access. The James Anderson Gallery is adjacent to the Reading Room and usually has an exhibit of archival materials on display. This space also allows for talks on local history for community groups like the Perth County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.
Digitization and Preservation Lab – Records can be digitized, cleaned or repaired. The air handling system operates to provide constant, proper levels of humidity, temperature, air movement and filtered air. The Collections room also has a fire system that can detect when combustion is about to occur and release a gas to put out the fire before it begins and is safe for collections, staff and the environment.
www.stratfordpertharchives.on.ca 519-271-0531 Email: [email protected]
Finding Aids and Digitized Collections – Click on “+” to get more of a description.
Archives’ Reference Library Catalogue – The archives holds a large reference library which contains books relating to local family histories, many of which are written by researchers and genealogists.
The Stratford-Perth Archives Reference Library is a part of the Perth County Information Network (PCIN) catalogue. These books are searchable online through the Archives’ Reference Library Catalogue.
By Shirley Hutton