Join us at the Elman W. Campbell Museum for these exciting exhibits. Free admission, monetary donations accepted.
Hours of Operation: Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 4 p.m.
The Changing Face of Main Street
Take a trip through time as we chronicle the changes to Main Street Newmarket. This exhibit features maps and photographs showcasing the evolution of our community over the last 150 years. Presented in partnership with the Newmarket Historical Society.
Love Local, Love Main Street!
Canadian Tire Store, East side of Main Street, Newmarket. Photo Courtesy of the Newmarket Historical Society Archives
Take a stroll back in time and check out our featured displays based on actual Main Street Merchants and Businesses from the mid-1800s to 1960s. Visitors will learn about: Shoe Cobber, Wm. Wright; Watson Jewelry; Hillsdale Dairy; Anne Mary Simpson, Apothecary; Bert Budd Camera Studio, Ontario Department of Agriculture; Joel Spillette, Canadian Tire franchise, Elman Campbell Stationery, Books, China and Glassware, through artifacts, photographs and newspaper ads.
New Office Specialty Exhibit
Available from September 9 to October 14, 2023
Beginning as Yawman and Erbe in New York in 1880, the Office Specialty Manufacturing Company opened in Newmarket circa 1896 in the former Novelty Company building south of Timothy Street, east of the Holland River. Newmarket became the head office in 1920, and branches were opened throughout the country. By 1929 there were over 400 employees. Office Specialty was Newmarket's largest employer, and the British Empire's largest manufacturer of office furniture, filing systems, and wood and steel cabinets.
The industrial boom following WWII brought great demand for Office Specialty products; however, competition from American firms and a failure to adapt to changing market conditions caused a decline in the 1950s. The company was sold in 1961, and operations were moved to Holland Landing c1970. A spectacular fire in 1971 destroyed part of the sprawling factory complex, and much of the rest was demolished over the years. In circa 1971, the building on Prospect Street housed the York Regional Police. The building on Timothy Street remained idle until other offices moved there. The Elman W. Campbell Museum relocated to the Timothy Street building in March 1991 until 1996 when the Town of Newmarket leased the building to the private sector for use as an educational facility. Eventually the Timothy Street building was purchased by a private developer circa 2003 with the construction of deluxe condominium lofts.
Temporary Displays:
Learn more about these 2023 significant anniversaries in Canada:
- 100th Anniversary of the Chinese Immigration Act
- 150th Anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
