The Hastings County Historical Society was established in 1957 to promote interest in the history of Hastings County.
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Location of the Belleville and Hastings County Community Archives

The Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County is located at 254 Pinnacle Street in downtown Belleville, sharing a building which also houses the Belleville Public Library. The creation of a new archives was a project initiated by the Hastings County Historical Society in partnership with the City of Belleville and the County of Hastings. The Historical Society raised more than $260,000 towards this project.

The Historical Society began a collection of archives when it was first established in 1957. In 2010, the Society’s archives became part of the overall collection of the new Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County.
 
There is no charge for visiting or viewing the archival materials at the Heritage Centre in Cannifton, however donations are always welcome. The location of the new archives collection in downtown Belleville is fully and completely wheelchair accessible including elevators.
 
The current archival collection at the Heritage Centre includes textual records, photographs, maps, newspapers, and other materials that provide information about the people, places, and development of Hastings County. Several fonds are noted here at the Archives Association of Ontario known as "Archeion". Further collections include:
  • City of Belleville minute books (1836-1860 and 1896-1959), bylaws (1850-1931), assessment rolls (most years 1864-1980), and other records;
  • County of Hastings records including the 1837 rebellion losses papers and the 1871 County assessment roll;
  • Bellevlle Intelligencer newspaper photographs (mainly negatives circa 1940's-2000);
  • The Mika collection of news clippings, articles, research notes, photographs and images regarding Belleville and Hastings County, Canadian railroads, United Empire Loyalists, Mika publications and other subjects;
  • Leona Riggs fonds with family photographs and other materials relating to music and family life in Belleville;
  • Hastings County Historical Society papers and records (1957-present), including the Building Research Committee papers and the Hastings County 1800-1900 Architectural Study;
  • Gerald E. Boyce fonds with source materials for his publications, including Historic Hastings (1967), Hutton of Hastings (1972), The St. Andrew’s Chronicles (1978), Sidney Township 1790-1990 (1990), and Eldorado: Ontario’s First Gold Rush (1992);
  • Collections from Earl Van Blaricom, the Wannamaker family, and Terry Forin regarding genealogy, family history, and the United Empire Loyalists;
  • Maps, plans, and architectural drawings;
  • Local newspaper collection including some 19th century papers not available elsewhere;
  • Microfilm of selected Hastings County Land Registry Office records.
The Community Archives is a partnership of the City of Belleville, the County of Hastings, and the Hastings County Historical Society.
 
HOURS OF OPERATION: Monday to Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon for inquiries; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. for research
TELEPHONE: 613-967-3304
STREET ADDRESS: Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County, 254 Pinnacle Street, Belleville ON, K8N 3B1
E-MAIL: archives@cabhc.ca
 
 
Information last updated:  April 26, 2016