Welcome

The Cornwall Township Historical Society is a non-profit, volunteer and community based organization dedicated to preserving history in the former Cornwall Township, now part of South Stormont Township. The organization was founded in 1978 through an effort to save from demolition, the old convent in St. Andrews West, Ontario. The building was designated a Heritage Building in 1978 and now is known as the Raisin River Heritage Centre and acts as the headquarters for the Historical Society.  The building also houses a museum; however it is currently closed for safety reasons.  Our Historical Society provides tours of local historical sites and landmarks on Sunday afternoons through the months of July and August.   We also outreach to various schools in the area with programs and contests that cultivate an awareness of our local history.

Through the past years, the Historical Society has undertaken a number of projects.  These include the restoration of the stone wall around the old Pioneer Cemetery in St. Andrews, building a replica of the original wooden log church built about 1784 and restoring some of the old monuments in the Pioneer Cemetery.  Some of the more historical monuments are the sites where Simon Fraser the explorer and John Sandfield Macdonald, the first premier of Ontario are buried.

If you are doing genealogic research and require assistance, members of the Historical Society will be pleased to assist where possible.   Use the contact page to get in touch with us.