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ABOUT THE BOOKS

The project began in the Spring of 2012 with authors/historians Marie Voisin and Ernie Ritz. Noting the wealth of historic properties in New Hamburg, Marie wanted to learn more about who lived within the original 1855 boundary. They drove around town to make a cursory survey, and Ernie, with his perspicuous memory, noted where buildings were no longer standing—referred to thereafter as “ghost buildings.” Writer/editor Kristen Hahn joined the team in 2019. 

Using the Assessment Records, the Wilmot Archives and scores of primary sources, 379 historic properties were identified. It was an arduous process as the records were frequently muddled or missing. 1450 pages of information were assembled and upwards of 75% of the properties were toured and photographed with existing architectural features and modifications documented. People in town with links to the past were interviewed, and hundreds of old photos were compiled and assigned to each property. 

What was originally thought to be a 300-page book morphed into a five-volume “biography” of the town, titled: The Historic Buildings of New Hamburg and the People Who Lived in Them. (520,000 words, 110 page index, 4600 endnote citations, footnotes on every page.) Over 60 people or events of special significance were included in “sidebars” granting the reader a richer appreciation of our shared history. With the writing complete, the book is currently being laid out for publication. Award-winning artist, Barb McLeod, was commissioned to do the covers of all five books, each a beautiful rendering of an important house. 

Sadly, Ernie Ritz passed away in March 2024, just weeks shy of his 99th birthday. As a passionate historian and lifelong learner, he was the touchstone for this project and could be relied on to provide accurate information on virtually any person and important occurrence in the town’s past. Every page of the books was made possible with his help, and we are lucky to have this enduring record of his knowledge as a tribute to our dear friend.  

The project reflects how countless towns in Ontario developed and grew since 1850. With architecture being the organizing principle, it chronicles how hand-hewn logs gave way to milled beams, shiplap boards were replaced by locally-produced white bricks, how four-roomed cottages were dwarfed by graceful Victorian mansions or shadowed by three-storey hotels and factories as the work of many hands and lives brought New Hamburg into the 21st century. 

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