Some of Barrie’s history can be found on a street sign, or reflected off the waters of Kempenfelt Bay or on property next to a sidewalk.
But it can also be found from the comfort — and safety — of your living-room computer or laptop, if you haven’t had the opportunity to get out of your ‘comfies’ (corona-speak for stay-at-home attire).
There are plenty of ways to explore Barrie’s past without leaving your property.
Enter the Barrie Historical Archive!
Archive director of research Mary Harris says the website offers up valuable services to the community, not the least of which reflects the city by the bay’s amazing past.
“It also includes assisting property owners (both private and business) to learn about the history of their buildings, answering genealogical queries, leading historic walks through old neighbourhoods, partnering with other groups to bring more history to the people, offering public speaking services and holding small, fun events (such as trivia nights) to create awareness about our history and what the BHA does,” she says, while standing in front of a historic home in one of the city’s original neigbourhoods.
(More about the ‘Bird House’ later on.)
The Barrie archive is becoming a ‘go-to’ resource for authors, city departments, consultants, journalists, teachers, churches, researchers and organizations who are looking for alternate, or new, sources of historical reference materials for their projects, according to archive vice-president and curator Deb Exel.
“On a very important level, the Barrie archive helps people connect to their past: cherished childhood experiences, memories of places, events or things long gone and brings hazy recollections into focus through a photograph or video,” she says. “It’s a wonderful, almost endless, source of nostalgia and it feels good to recall those personal and shared community moments.”
Most of the archive's content is donated by individuals from their personal memorabilia, but also from the City of Barrie and organizations or businesses, Exel says.
“From an archival perspective, the photos, videos, recordings and documents in the Barrie archive might be the only record that exists of a given person, place or event,” she adds.
Exel says the BHA often transfers material to the Simcoe County Archives for storage once they have been documented.
“They been very helpful to me on research projects. The staff are so helpful and knowledgeable about the vast amount of materials they have to manage,” she says.
Oh yes, about that house.
According to Harris, this unique dwelling, dubbed Sans Souci and located at 17 Peel St., was designed and owned by Lt. Sherman Godfrey Bird and his wife, Amy Laura (Amoi Chun).
Bird was a British army officer stationed in South China where he met his — future — Cantonese wife during an evacuation of the women and children from an area where the British planned an attack.
“Trained as an engineer and architect, Bird designed Sans Souci in 1872 using a less typical form of the Gothic Revival style,” Harris says. “Bird is responsible for several of Barrie’s public buildings, including the 1872 post office on Owen Street and St. Mary’s church (both demolished).
“Sans Souci is also known as the China Bird House for its pagoda-like roof and finials (vertical, pointed central elements surrounded by four out-curving leaves or scrolls) as well as the tea house that formerly graced the edge of the stream at the rear. The original colour of the roughcast plaster of the exterior walls was a dark red.”
The property is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act for its architectural and historical significance.
“We are so grateful for the continued interest in the Barrie archive,” Exel says. “People seem to genuinely enjoy browsing our site and reading the stories or viewing the archive pieces we curate for them. In these days when there is even less opportunity to get out, the Barrie Historical Archive online museum is available 24/7 from the comfort of your home or phone. Very safe and virus free.”
Harris says the virtual way of accessing information could encourage future fans of history to access the past.
