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Adopt-an-Artifact

	Muskoka Heritage Place has a history of its own, dating back to 1958 and we can't wait to share with you our brand new Adopt-an-Artifact program which provides the opportunity to "adopt" a chosen artifact for one year. When you adopt an artifact, you receive a Certificate of Adoption with a photo and description of the item you have adopted. The name of the adoptee will be displayed on this website next to the adopted item (unless the adoptee prefers to remain anonymous). Proceeds from the program will be used to preserve artifacts that represent the proud history of Muskoka. All adoptions are for a period of one year, from the prearranged date of your choice. Please note that the ownership of an adopted artifact is not transferred and that all rights regarding care and display of artifacts are retained by Muskoka Heritage Place. The higher the level of adoption, the more benefit you receive.

Muskoka Heritage Place has a history of its own, dating back to 1958 and we can't wait to share with you our brand new Adopt-an-Artifact program which provides the opportunity to "adopt" a chosen artifact for one year. When you adopt an artifact, you receive a Certificate of Adoption with a photo and description of the item you have adopted. The name of the adoptee will be displayed on this website next to the adopted item (unless the adoptee prefers to remain anonymous). Proceeds from the program will be used to preserve artifacts that represent the proud history of Muskoka.

All adoptions are for a period of one year, from the prearranged date of your choice.

Please note that the ownership of an adopted artifact is not transferred and that all rights regarding care and display of artifacts are retained by Muskoka Heritage Place.

The higher the level of adoption, the more benefit you receive.

Choose an artifact from one of the two groups below
Things Group
Cabins & Trains Group
Select the level of adoption you wish
Contact Sara White, Collections Coordinator to secure your adoption and make arrangements for payment, or discuss your idea for a specific artifact you may be interested in adopting

THINGS GROUP (4 Levels of Adoption)

Bronze Level Adoption - $20.00 includes

The name of the adoptee (if so desired) beside the artifact on this webpage
A page in the Adoption Registry dedicated to your artifact (Registry located in our Muskoka Museum)
A Certificate of Adoption, including the provenance and photograph of the artifact, for you to keep or give as a gift
$10.00 taxable donation receipt

Silver Level Adoption - $50.00 includes

ABOVE PLUS - 1 Site Pass (for one) to visit the Museums, Pioneer Village and Portage Flyer Train
$30.00 taxable donation receipt

Gold Level Adoption - $75.00 includes

ABOVE PLUS - 1 Free visit (for two) with your artifact (by appointment)
$30.00 taxable donation receipt

Platinum Level Adoption - $100.00 includes

ABOVE PLUS - Exclusivity. The platinum level guarantees that you will be the only one to adopt an available artifact for the one year period
$50.00 taxable donation receipt

THINGS GROUP

Demaine Family Bible This Geneva edition bible was printed in London in 1607. It was brought to Canada by Henry Demaine from Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, England. Its 473 remaining pages were conserved in 1985 to preserve the Demaine family genealogical information that dates back to the early 17th century.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Key from the Kent Hotel The Kent Hotel first opened on the southeast corner of Brunel and Main Street in 1895 by Frank Kent. It was three and a half stories tall, with fifty bedrooms, a fountain in the lobby, a dining room, a bar and two lounges, one for the ladies and one for the men. It was demolished in 1940 and replaced by a service station. This key was returned by mail to the Huntsville Post Office in March 1977and they donated it to us.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Railing from the Bigwin Inn Rotunda Built by C.O. Shaw on Lake of Bays in 1920, Bigwin Inn was the one of the premier resorts in North America in the 1920s and early 1930s. The Rotunda was the main reception area and contained many lounges for the comfort of Bigwin Inn's guests.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Anglo Canadian Leather Company Leather The Anglo Canadian Leather Company was a very important part of Huntsville's history. Members of the Shaw family ran the tannery from 1891 until 1962. At its peak it employed 200 men and was the primary supplier of boot leather for the British Armed forces in World War One. The Tannery used local soft-water and hemlock tannins to dye the leather that came in from all over North and South America. These leather pieces are a few of the pieces produced by the tannery over their 71 year operations.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Window from the Bigwin Inn Sumaro (Dining Room) Built by C.O. Shaw on Lake of Bays in 1920, Bigwin Inn was one of the premier resorts in North America in the 1920s-30s. The Sumaro, or dining room extended thirty feet over the lake, with a twelve - sided main room that could seat up to 500 guests.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Demaine Phone The first phone in Stisted Township was purchased from W. Elemar Campsell, owner of the Muskoka and Parry Sound Telephone Company by William Demaine in 1908. The copper wire strung along trees, poles and the occasional fence post and connected the Demaine House to the Demaine Store and Ashworth Post Office. Despite having been hit by lightning twice, the phone is still fully operational.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE Bronze Level Ron Gostlin February 22, 2012
Key for the Swing Bridge The Huntsville swing bridge opened on February 17th 1902, replacing the old bridge which was considered unsafe. George Selkirk operated the swing bridge for decades, followed by Johnathan Hinton. The swing bridge was necessary to allow the passage of the steamships between southern and northern lakes of Huntsville. The last steamship passed through the bridge in 1952 and it was welded shut in the 1980s.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Britannia Hotel plates The Britannia Hotel was built by Tom White in 1905. The original four-storey lodge has its own power house and eventually grew to house 350 guest with tennis courts, bowling green, nine-hole golf course with a club house, dance pavilion, ski hill and curling rink. It was closed in 1973. These white china plates with blue rings and geese were specially commissioned from Germany to serve guests in the dining room.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Dollhouse This dollhouse was built by Mr. John Collins in 1920 for his daughters. Elaine Foster found it at a local antique store and lovingly refurbished it to represent a typical 1920s home.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Gunter Chain The Gunter chain was a surveying tool used to mark out the lots and concessions of the early townships. It is an iron chain with 100 links and a brass piece on every 10th link to mark fractions. 1 chain is equal to 66 feet, 80 chains equal a mile and 100 chains the length between concessions.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Lanceolate Point Made in the Early Archaic period (7000 years ago), this stone tool may have been used as a spear head for hunting large animals. The First Nations people who made and used this tool were nomadic. They hunted and gathered seasonally in Muskoka for thousands of years.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Bell from the S.S. Algonquin The S.S. Algonquin travelled between Lakes Vernon, Fairy and Peninsula from 1908 -1958. This cast iron bell could be heard for miles as the steamship made its daily trips up and down the lake system. Mayor Frank Hubble saved the bell when the S.S. Algonquin was dismantled in 1958.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Shaw Wedding Outfits Charles Orlando Shaw and Jennie Lavinia Abbott were married on October 28th 1886. Jennie's cream dress with lace and extensive embossed skirt was also worn by their granddaughter for her wedding. C.O. Shaw was the General Manger of the Anglo-Canadian Leather Company, founder of the Anglo-Canadian Concert Band, owner of Bigwin and a driving force behind many Huntsville projects.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
School Bell This small teacher's bell was used by J. N. Shearer, the principal of Huntsville Public School from 1891-1897. Bells like these were common in school to get the attention of the students, especially while in the yard.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE
Great War Quilt This red and white signature heritage quilt was sewn by the Ladies Benevolent Society, and for a donation of 10^¢ you could have your name embroidered on the quilt. This quilt was won in a raffle by Mrs. Dolmage in 1915.		ADOPT ME I'M AVAILABLE

Demaine Family Bible

This Geneva edition bible was printed in London in 1607. It was brought to Canada by Henry Demaine from Bolton Abbey in Yorkshire, England. Its 473 remaining pages were conserved in 1985 to preserve the Demaine family genealogical information that dates back to the early 17th century.

Adopt-an-Artifact

THINGS GROUP (4 Levels of Adoption)

Bronze Level Adoption - $20.00 includes

Silver Level Adoption - $50.00 includes

Gold Level Adoption - $75.00 includes

Platinum Level Adoption - $100.00 includes

THINGS GROUP

Demaine Family Bible

Key from the Kent Hotel

Railing from the Bigwin Inn Rotunda

Anglo Canadian Leather Company Leather

Window from the Bigwin Inn Sumaro (Dining Room)

Demaine Phone

Bronze Level

Key for the Swing Bridge

Britannia Hotel plates

Dollhouse

Gunter Chain

Lanceolate Point

Bell from the S.S. Algonquin

Shaw Wedding Outfits

School Bell

CABINS & TRAINS GROUP (2 Levels of Adoption)

Gold Level Adoption - $250.00 includes

Platinum Level Adoption - $500.00 includes

CABINS & TRAINS GROUP

Ashworth Hall

School House

Spence Inn

Window from the Bigwin Inn
Sumaro (Dining Room)