New Brunswick Historical Society

The New Brunswick Historical Society is a historical organization based in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. Founded in 1874 by Saint John furniture maker Joseph Wilson Lawrence, the society was established to research, document, preserve, and communicate the history of the province. Its original emphasis was the history of Saint John County and, to a lesser extent, Kings County. In more recent years, its activities have broadened to address New Brunswick history more generally. The society's early members assembled a substantial library of books, manuscripts, and other documentary material relating to the province. Much of this collection was destroyed in the Great Saint John Fire of 1877, an event that significantly affected the organization's early heritage resources. Despite that loss, the society continued as a forum for historical research and public education. Its membership has included published historians, public figures, and local residents with an interest in the region's past. A central part of the society's identity is its connection with Merritt House, an uptown Saint John property acquired in 1960. The building had been occupied by the Merritt family since 1810 and became the society's headquarters. It also operates as Loyalist House, a museum intended to evoke the Georgian-era residence of an affluent Loyalist family in Saint John. Through the house and its programming, the society links archival and scholarly work with an accessible heritage experience. The society's public activities include talks, lectures, museum-related programming, and a recurring Speaker's Talks series. The free Speaker's Talks program is held monthly at various venues from October through April, while shorter presentations are also organized at or near Loyalist House. A number of these talks are recorded and made available through the society's YouTube channel, extending its educational reach beyond in-person audiences. The organization also publishes a quarterly PDF for its members. Its earlier documentary publishing tradition is represented by the multi-volume Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society, which contains historical material associated with the society's research and collecting activities. These publications, lectures, museum interpretation, and preservation work give the society a role in maintaining public access to New Brunswick's local and regional history. The society's current president is Dr. Greg Marquis, a history professor at the University of New Brunswick's Saint John campus.

The New Brunswick Historical Society was established in Saint John in 1874 by Joseph Wilson Lawrence, a local furniture maker. Its founding reflected the nineteenth-century growth of organized historical and antiquarian activity in New Brunswick, particularly the desire to collect documentary evidence about the province and its communities. The society's initial geographic focus was Saint John County, with additional attention to Kings County. Over time, its remit expanded to encompass the history of New Brunswick more broadly. During its early years, the society built a significant library containing books, documents, and other materials important to the study of the province. This early accumulation was severely damaged by the Great Saint John Fire of 1877, which destroyed much of the society's library and documentary holdings. The loss removed a substantial portion of the organization's first-generation collection, but it did not end the society's work. Members continued to support historical research, collect local records, and maintain a community for people interested in New Brunswick's past. The society's membership has included historians whose work was published, public figures, and local citizens. Its activities have therefore combined professional historical scholarship with voluntary and community-based participation. The organization has preserved its publishing tradition through the Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society, a multi-volume series associated with its documentary and historical work. In the present period, it also produces a quarterly PDF publication for members. A major institutional turning point came in 1960, when the society acquired Merritt House in uptown Saint John. The house had been occupied by the Merritt family since 1810. After its acquisition, the property became both the society's headquarters and the site of Loyalist House, a museum presenting an interpretation of an affluent Loyalist family's Georgian-era home in Saint John. The property provides a physical setting for the society's preservation and educational mission and gives visitors an opportunity to encounter local history through architecture, domestic objects, and historical interpretation. Public outreach is an important part of the society's current work. It organizes regular events, including shorter talks in and around Loyalist House. Its principal lecture program, Speaker's Talks, is a free series held once a month from October through April at different locations. Some talks are recorded and distributed through the society's YouTube channel, allowing the organization to reach audiences who cannot attend its events in person. The New Brunswick Historical Society remains centered in Saint John while addressing subjects connected with the wider province. Its combined activities—research, collection and documentation, member publishing, museum operation, lectures, and recorded presentations—place it between a local historical association and a broader public heritage institution. Dr. Greg Marquis, a professor of history at the University of New Brunswick's Saint John campus, is identified as its current president.

• 1960

  Merritt House acquired

  [1]New Brunswick Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  The society acquired Merritt House in uptown Saint John, which became its headquarters and the site of the Loyalist House museum.

• 1877

  Great Saint John Fire destroys much of the early collection

  [1]New Brunswick Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  A major fire destroyed much of the library and documentary material accumulated by the society during its early years.

• 1874

  Society founded

  [1]New Brunswick Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org

  Joseph Wilson Lawrence founded the New Brunswick Historical Society in Saint John to support the study and documentation of the province's history.

A local and provincial historical institution combining scholarly documentation, heritage preservation, museum interpretation, publications, and public programming.

• Museum and heritage property · 1960

  Loyalist House

  Loyalist House is the society's museum and headquarters in Merritt House, an uptown Saint John property associated with the Merritt family from 1810. The museum interprets the Georgian-era home of an affluent Loyalist Saint John family and serves as a venue for historical talks and other public programming.

• Historical publication

  Collections of the New Brunswick Historical Society

  A multi-volume documentary and historical publication series associated with the society's research, collecting, and educational mission. The series preserves and communicates material relating to New Brunswick history.

• Digital membership publication

  Quarterly member publication

  The society distributes a quarterly PDF to its membership. It supports the organization's ongoing communication with members and provides a channel for historical content and society-related information.

• Public lecture series

  Speaker's Talks

  A free public lecture series held monthly from October through April at various locations. The program presents historical subjects to the public, and some talks are recorded and shared through the society's YouTube channel.

1. 1New Brunswick Historical Societyen.wikipedia.org