Colby-Curtis museum

History

Physical description

Exhibitions

Collections

The Stanstead Historical Society was founded in 1929 and acquired its first museum building in Beebe, Quebec in 1973. The museum was later moved to a modern brick building in the town of Stanstead, on the Quebec-Vermont border.

In 1992, the museum was again moved, this time to Carrollcroft , a fine granite house built in 1859 by Charles Carroll Colby in the classic revival style and inspired by contemporary American villas. Carrollcroft and its contents were donated to the Society by the Colby family in 1992.

Today, Carrollcroft houses the expanded Colby-Curtis Museum and Archives. Permanent displays give visitors a glimpse of the gracious lifestyle enjoyed by several generations of a prominent border family of American origin. Changing temporary exhibitions present other fascinating aspects of regional history.

Carrollcroft , a large heritage house built in 1859 by Charles Carroll Colby. This imposing cut granite and fieldstone house in the Italianate style has been home to the Colby-Curtis Museum since 1992. Together with its adjacent barn building, it contains the collections of the Stanstead Historical Society that continue to grow thanks to local donors.

Boutique. Here are interesting items for sale, many from local artists and artisans : porcelain; paintings; stained glass; pottery; carvings; soaps; jewellery; cards and stationery; books, and the ever-popular "collectibles".

Victorian Garden. The Stanstead Historical Society has developed a garden inspired by Carrollcroft's nineteenth-century gardens and opened it to the public. Visitors can stroll the walkways or relax on one of the garden benches. There are beautiful peonies, iris, roses and other old-fashioned flowers to be admired.

Zig Zag. This is an environmental sculpture based on the equinox created by Vermont artist Kate Pond.

Permanent Exhibition

Permanent displays give visitors a glimpse of the gracious domestic lifestyle enjoyed by several generations of a prominent border family of American origin.

Temporary Exhibition

See ''What's New'' section.

The collections contain some 15,000 artefacts of which more than 4,000 have been catalogued and deposited in the databases of the Société des musées québécois and the Canadian Heritage Information Network (see links below) and features artefacts in the areas of ethnology, military, furniture, decorative arts, costumes, textiles, paintings, and works on paper. Emphasis is on items of local or regional historical significance.

The Colby Collection, with over 3,000 artefacts, includes all of the furnishings that were in Carrollcroft when the Colby family donated the house and its contents to the Stanstead Historical Society in 1992. This collection includes furniture, works of art, books, household implements, decorative art objects (china, glass, silverware), textiles, and Colby family photographs and correspondence.

Research Services • Educational Programs • Programs for school children.

• Seniors Programs • Classes or Workshops • Lectures
• Bilingual Guided Tours • Information Centre
• Special Needs Facilities

Publications & Products :

• Catalogues • Posters • Postcards • Newsletters • Brochures
• Books • Periodicals

Opening hours Colby-Curtis Museum and Boutique :

June 8th to June 21th:

Monday to Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

June 22th to September 7th (Labour Day):

Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. à 5:00 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

September 8th to June 1st:

Monday to Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by reservation

Museum and temporary exhibitions ($ CAN) :

Adult : $5,00
Senior (65 years old and up) : $3,00
Student : $2,00
Child under 12 years old : free
Group (10 people and more) : $3,00 each person
Family (2 adults and 2 children) : $10,00
Member : free

Group tours welcomed; advance notice preferred.

Colby-Curtis Museum/ Stanstead Historical Society
535 Dufferin,
Stanstead, Quebec, Canada
J0B 3E0
Telephone: (819) 876-7322
Fax: (819) 876-7936
E-mail: info@colbycurtis.ca