Housed in a historic wing of the Museum, the Archival Collection consists of rare historical and genealogical records which document the history of Wellington County from its first settlement.

Special Collections:

Municipal Records
The Archives is the designated repository for the Municipal Records generated by the town, township, village and county councils consisting of minute books, bylaws, assessment and collectors rolls, voters lists, etc.

The Couling Collection
The Couling Collection consists of architectural inventories, photographs and 13,000 slides of signifigant architectural structures in Guelph and Wellington County. The collection was created by the late Professor Gordon Couling, and is of particular interest to students of architectural history and members of Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee.

Access to the Collection:
An entrance interview with the Archivist will help you identify the records you need. Researchers can consult the Public Access terminal to determine the contents of the collection. Access points include names of people, organizations, places, creators, title and subject.

Record the accession number on a request form and present it to the Archivist. Finding aids and inventories are located in the Reading Room.

The Archivist will answer requests for historical information. A fee of $25.00 Canadian is directed towards ONE hour of research. An invoice for the cost of the research plus photocopies and postage is mailed when the research is completed. Cheques can be made payable to the Wellington County Museum and Archives or you can call the Archives with your VISA or MasterCard number. Requests, including email will be answered in the order in which it is received. Please include your regular mailing address.

Use of Material:
Due to the rarity of the records, the collection must remain non-circulating. Reproduction of photos is permitted. The Ada Currie Reading Room is equipped with four microfilm readers, one microfiche reader and a photocopier.

Preservation of Records:
The Wellington County Museum & Archives provides a safe and secure place to house your donations. The building has full environmental controls and is monitored constantly. Fragile items are microfilmed to reduce handling.

All donations are carefully documented so that a permanent record is kept detailing the history of each donation.

Donations:
The Wellington County Museum & Archives welcomes the donation of records and artifacts relating to the history of Wellington County, its people and places.

Every donation is catalogued, and donors are asked to sign gift forms releasing ownership.

Donations are appraised and an income tax receipt will be issued for the value of the donation. Receipts are also issued for monetary gifts.

The Archives relies on donations to expand its collection. If you are unsure about the records in your home, office, church or group, please contact the Archivist before discarding.