Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum

For the Canadian lyrical poet and namesake, see Wilson MacDonald.

The Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum (WMMSM) is a museum dedicated to preserving the history of rural education in Haldimand County and Canada at large, the heritage of the surrounding community, and the memory of its namesake, Wilson Pugsley MacDonald.^[1]

Wilson MacDonald Memorial School Museum

Former name	Wilson Pugsley MacDonald Memorial School Museum
Established	1967 (1967)
Location	3513 Rainham Rd., Selkirk, ON N0A 1P0
Coordinates	42.826941°N 79.975423°W / 42.826941; -79.975423
Type	Heritage Museum & Tourist Information Centre
Key holdings	Walpole S.S. No. 2, "McGaw's"
Founder	Earl Sider & Elsie Sider
Curator	Dana Stavinga
Nearest parking	On site (no charge)
Website	haldimandcounty.ca/heritage-culture/wilson-macdonald-memorial-school-museum/

Collection, Exhibits and Events

WMMSM has a large collection of various artifacts relating to local heritage. The primary focus is on rural education however they hold a number of farming implements, type writers, medical tools, and more. WMMSM also has a number of photo albums featuring photos throughout the years of nearly every single one-room schoolhouse in the county.^{[citation needed]}

The WMMSM houses four exhibits. There are 2 permanent galleries, one is an exhibit chronologically laying out much of Haldimand's and Canada's history with rural education and the second is dedicated to the museum's namesake, Wilson MacDonald. There is one rotating exhibit, changing roughly 3-4 times a year to keep the museum's contents fresh and in cooperation with Haldimand County's fellow museums, Haldimand County Heritage Centre and Edinburgh Square Heritage and Cultural Centre. The final exhibit is the preserved one-room school house, filled with artifacts from the time and area it was in use.^{[citation needed]}

WMMSM runs a multitude of events for the local community including informational sessions, a car show, and a variety of workshops and summer camps.^{[citation needed]}

History

The schoolhouse was built in 1872, replacing the previous school house that had stood in the same property. It remained in use as a one-room school house until 1965 when it was shut down.^{[citation needed]}

In 1967, through the efforts of Earl and Elsie Sider of Cheapside, Ontario, the schoolhouse was established as a museum. Much of the original articles that had once existed in the school house had been auctioned off however, many articles from the surrounding areas have since been donated back.^{[citation needed]}

In the 1990s, an addition was built onto the east side of the building to include the current galleries, offices and other amenities.^{[citation needed]}