Conservation/Preservation:

 Archives/Library

• The archival collection encompasses a range of materials relating to all aspects of Dufferin’s history. The collection includes more than 3000 archival documents, more than 500 local history books, and approximately 3000 photographs, as well as a wide range of reference books pertaining to Canadian antiques and artifacts, Canadian history, local authors, education, area churches, and community organizations.
• The archives also offers an extensive collection of municipal government information, such as by-laws, council minutes, and financial records, the earliest of which dates from 1851; information on such social organizations as the Loyal Orange Lodge, Masonic Lodge, and Women’s Institutes .
• Local History: A collection of over 500 works, including information on Dufferin and area towns, villages, churches, schools as well as many personal anecdotes of life in this region of Ontario.
• Museum Reference: The collection is accessible to researchers who are interested in finding and verifying information on Canadian, American and British antiques, Canadian glassware, antique furniture, costume jewellery and textiles.
• Canadian History: A selection of over 200 works, including texts of general interest in Canadian social, economic, and political history.
• Home & Health Advice: Includes some 200 works pertaining to Canadian agriculture, genealogy, cooking, maps, bibles, music and school textbooks.
• Family History: Two self-serve filing cabinets offer a number of family histories and research files.
• Cemetery Master Index and Transcriptions: Consult this master list available in the Archives.
• Microfilm: Census Records of Dufferin County records 1852 to 1901 are available
• Civil Registration Index from 1869 onward, various newspapers dating from 1861 including Orangeville Sun, Banner, Grand Valley Star & Vidette, Shelburne Economist, Free Press.
• Dufferin County Land Records to 1966, Municipal Records and many County Directories and Atlases are available.

Artefacts

• The first floor’s Large Artefact Storage Room is accessible to visitors. This area, which stores such items as wagons, sleighs, and furniture, allows visitors to view artefacts which are not currently on display in the DCMA’s exhibit galleries.
• The collections include archival documents and artefacts such as Canadian glass and ceramics (notably, Corn Flower cut glassware), furniture, wagons, machinery, agricultural implements, clothing, quilts, archival documents, and photographs.
• The museum’s hillside site features heritage gardens with a rich variety of plants, trees, and flowers, all of which were native to this region around 1900. The property also showcases samples of crop varieties traditionally harvested in DufferinCounty, as well as an apple orchard and an herb garden.

Public Programming:

Exhibitions

• Three heritage buildings are situated inside the DCMA’s main gallery; the Rich Hill Orange Lodge Building 1861, a pioneer log home 1850, and Crombie’s Station, a Toronto, Grey and Bruce train flagging station, 1882.
• Rich Hill Orange Lodge, constructed of tamarack logs in 1861, was originally located in AmaranthTownship.
• The McCutcheon Replica House at the DCMA is a one and one-half storey log home, constructed with logs dating from 1851. The interior of the house is appointed and furnished with artefacts from the DCMA Collection to reflect the period of the County of Dufferin’s incorporation in 1881.
• Also located on this site is the Historic Corbetton Methodist Church Building.
• The Reading Room also showcases changing displays in beautiful antique cases, formerly of Morrow’s Jewellery Store in Orangeville, ca. 1880.

Tours

Group visits must be booked in advance and admission is $20.00/person.