Sharon Temple National Historic Site

Type: Museum

Originally a place of worship opened in 1832 for a group of former Quakers known as the Children of Peace, the Sharon Temple first became a county museum in 1918. In the 1950s the focus of the museum began to shift to the history of the Children of Peace, and in the 1980s a popular musical program known as “Music at Sharon” was launched. The site has a collection of restored buildings and displays pioneer artefacts and historic items related to the sect.

Programming:

Conservation/Preservation:

Artefacts

  • Temple: a new restoration was completed in 2011
  • David Willson’s Study: workplace of the leader of the Children of Peace
  • Doan Home: home of Ebenezer Doan, master builder of the Temple
  • Jesse Doan log house
  • Cookhouse
  • Doan drive shed
  • Granary

architecture

All buildings and artefacts relate to pioneer life and the Children of Peace.

  •  The Sharon Temple: Built between 1825 and 1832. Restoration on the building was completed in 2011.
  • David Willson’s Study: Built in 1829, and was the workplace of David Willson, the leader of the Children of Peace.
  •  Doan Home: Built in 1819, it was the home of Ebenezer Doan, the master builder of the Temple.
  • Log House: Built in the 1830s, the Log House was the home of Jesse Doan, the first leader of the Sharon Civilian Band.
  • Doan Drive Shed
  • Cookhouse: Used to cook the 15 major feasts throughout the year. Once a month when the temple would be used to collect donations, and on three special occasions: Christmas, the first Saturday in June (in celebration of David Willson’s birthday), and the first Saturday in September (a celebration of the harvest and illumination).
  • Granary

Public Programming:

Online

175 Years of Hope: A Celebration of the Sharon Temple and The Children of Peace. http://www.archives.gov.on.ca/en/explore/online/sharon_temple/index.aspx

Music at Sharon:  Sunday afternoon concerts of classical music.

Special Events

Check the website for updates. Below is a list of events in 2017:

  • March 16 2017: Weaving Words Speakers Series – Stories come in all forms. A discussion of World War One and the Canadian Expeditionary Forces at the Battle of Vimy Ridge that complements our Dear Sadie Exhibit.
  • April 20 2017: Weaving Words Speakers Series – Stories come in all forms. The History Hound will discuss genealogy and decorating your family tree.
  • May 18 2017: Weaving Words Speakers Series – Stories come in all forms. This series will bring those stories alive in various forms to delight, inspire, and entertain audiences. This event will showcase young artists.
  •  June 8 2017: Heritage Celebration – This event will celebrate the purchase of the Temple by the York Pioneer Historical Society in 1917, an event which saved the Temple from destruction. Heritage Celebration will feature: delightful hors d’ouvres, historic tours, wine and craft beer, and a stunning musical performance in the one of a kind Sharon Temple.
  • July 1 2017: Canada Day Community Celebration – Celebrate Canada’s history in your own backyard! Enjoy a day of music, heritage games, historic demonstrations, museum exhibits, 1937 Reenactment and Encampment, and more.
  • July 23 2017: Music at the Temple – Come by to enjoy local musicians and great food in an amazing location.
  • September 8 2017: The Illumination – Following the practice of the Children of Peace, the museum recreates The Illumination on the first Friday night of September every year. Candles are lit in every window of the Temple and in the twelve lanterns on the corners. The evening includes music, readings, ceremony, and light refreshments on the grounds.
  • September 17 2017: Weaving Words – Weaving Words is a celebration of stories and the many ways that we will tell them, through written and spoken word, through music, film, and dance. Storytellers, writers, musicians, film-makers and other performances from a wide range of cultural and ethnic backgrounds will gather to celebrate everything that is special about who we are, where we have come from and where we are going. Through our stories we celebrate our history and our culture with all of its diversity; we celebrate the people who have made this nation great.
  • September 30 2017: Culture Day at the Temple

Exhibits

  • May 8 2017 – September 9 2017: Our Natural World Exhibit – There was a time when everything a person owned would be made from things you find in nature. Come examine a collection of interesting everyday objects made out of natural materials. Be inspired by your natural world; what would you make from these objects?
  • May 8 2017 – September 8 2017 Richard Coates: Our Renaissance Man – Richard Coates was a man of many talents. While we know very little of his education, his life speaks to great diversity. He was the bandmaster in the Battle of Waterloo, he built 3 organs, some of the earliest surviving in Canada, and he painted beautiful banners, like “Peace” and “Plenty” that hang in the Temple today. Coates was a musician, an inventor, a painter, and an astronomer; a man of eclectic talents that we now call “Our Renaissance Man”.
  • May 8 2017 –October 31 2017: Coming Home: Quaker Beginnings in York Exhibit – Everyone comes from somewhere, and each of their journeys are different. Coming Home: Quaker Beginnings in York, shares the journeys of three families: the Hughes, Starrs, and Lundys, as they immigrate to York to make a new home. In honor of Canada’s 150, the Sharon Temple invites the public to share in the experience of early Quaker settlers as they journey across unknown lands, experience many trials, and finally, form a community. This is the story of a group of settlers that made more than a house, they made a home

Tours

Call to arrange a guided tour of the site, although tours can be given to people who just drop by during our hours of operation.

Volunteer/Internship/Placement Opportunities:

There are many opportunities to volunteer at the Sharon Temple as visitor guides, and volunteering at special events! Contact caitlin.wagg@sharontemple.ca for any inquiries.

Address & Contact Information:

Sharon National Historic Site and Museum
18974 Leslie Street
Sharon, Ontario L0G 1V0

Phone: 905-478-2389
Email: info@sharontemple.ca
Website: http://www.sharontemple.ca/

Hours of Operation:

Summer Hours (May to October):

Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Winter Hours (November to April):

Tuesday-Friday- 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Key Words: religion, pioneer