The International Fox Museum and Hall of Fame was created in 1984 using the historic Holman Homestead as its venue. The Holman house, located at 286 Fitzroy Street, had been in the hands of the prominent Holman family from 1870 to 1975 and then until 1984 under ownership of the Prince Edward Island Heritage Foundation. In that year a decision was made by the foundation to find a new owner for the property.
The vulnerability of the historic home came to the attention of the newly formed Summerside and Area Historical Society, which took its concerns to the provincial government. In July 1984, it was announced that a $35,000 grant for its purchase had been granted by the province to a committee that had been formed to advocate the suitability of the house for a fox museum. This committee was incorporated as the International Hall of Fame of the Fox and worked with the Historical Society to administer funds granted by the federal government through a Canada Works project. This led to three people being employed for twenty weeks to carry out necessary upgrades and repairs to the Holman Homestead.
The property was deeded to the International Hall of Fame of the Fox Inc. in October 1984. The organization employed Wayne Wright to design a museum using suitable artifacts from the Heritage Foundation along with others collected from the community. The building housed not only the museum but several commercial tenants and for a period of time two apartments. The property remained in the hands of the Fox Museum incorporation until the year 2000 when new owners bought the building and opened a business known as Homestead Antiques and Gifts.
The museum, which occupied several rooms, remained in the building rent-free for a period of five years. In 2005 the International Fox Museum and Hall of Fame was turned over to the City of Summerside under the care of the Wyatt Heritage Properties. At that time, it was moved to first level of the city-owned Armouries at 33 Summer Street where it continues to be a popular attraction for visitors every summer.
For more information, contact:
Lori Ellis
[email protected]
902-432-1297
205 Prince Street, Summerside, PE C1N 2Z5
Related City Documents:
City of Summerside’s Cultural Plan
Related External Links:
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