Didsbury & District Museum - Didsbury

Incorporated on December 7, 1978, the Didsbury and District Historical Society is a registered, charitable, non-profit organization that endeavours to preserve and interpret Didsbury's history.
    Statement of Purpose
    Certificate of Incorporation

The Society owns and manages the Didsbury Museum. The Museum tells the story of the founding, settlement, and development of Didsbury, Alberta, Canada, and the surrounding area, from the late 1800s to the present, in order to preserve the past for future generations.

A Valued Provincial Historic Resource
We are very proud of our building. Fondly known as the "Old Red Brick School", this two-storey, early twentieth century building is situated on an oversized single lot in the north-west quarter of Didsbury. It is an architectural showcase, with a red brick facade accented by rock-faced sandstone elements, a 10x12 pitch hip roof with extended eaves, and a massive corner bell tower.

The building marries Italianate features - including a low pitched hip roof with broad, exposed rafter-eaves, quoins, and a corner tower - to classically styled pediments and cornice details. These elements, combined with the lively dichromatic contrasts of brick and sandstone, impart the building's exterior with an eclectic dynamism, while the robust massing gives the building an imposing solidity.

When it was built, it was considered a sophisticated modern design and a substantial facility for a town of fewer than 1,000 people - an expression of Didsbury's heady optimism in the pre-World War I period.

First Used as a School, then a Library, then a Hospital
In 1907, the community's continued growth and a strong faith in its future development led to the construction of a large, ultra-modern, brick and sandstone school. Officially opened in 1908, the new school taught all grades and was the first school in the district to offer Grade 12.

One of the first school newspapers to be published in Canada came out of this Didsbury School. The monthly publication was called "The Hustler".

Located on the second floor, what is now the Bell Tower Room and Chapel was also the first free public library in Alberta. It was opened on these premises in 1908.

Following the disastrous fires of 1914 that destroyed much of the downtown core and local infrastructure, the school - already a conspicuous local building - became an even more dominant feature of Didsbury's townscape and was also pressed into service as a hospital during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918.

After 1920, the Red Brick School was employed as an elementary school, and remained part of the town's school system until 1984.

The building was used as a yard and training area for the military troops during World War II.

The red brick school became home to the Didsbury Museum in 1989. In 2006, the Didsbury and District Historical Society acquired the title to the public school building. It was designated a Provincial Historic Resource in early 2011.

An Important Member of the Community
The Didsbury & District Historical Society has one part-time employee, the Museum Manager. Besides booking tours and acting as the Museum's tour guide and interpreter, the Museum Manager is responsible for developing interpretive programming, arranging school tour programs around the curriculum, representing the Historical Society as a community ambassador at events throughout the province, and regular administrative duties.

With the Museum Manager's leadership and assistance, all other activities and programs are conducted by volunteers, community members who want to make a difference in our town. Depending on the year, volunteer hours have ranged from about 2,000 to 2,900. Yes, our volunteers are incredible! The Board of the Historical Society recognizes the investment these volunteers put into making the historical exhibits attractive and educational, and programs desirable and valuable.

The Museum is a place that inspires creativity and innovation. It is an investment in the future of our children and the growth and success of our town, our province, and our country.