The collection contains material about the family of Thomas Rodman Merritt and Rodman Hall in St. Catharines. Thomas Merritt was the youngest son of William Hamilton Merritt and Catherine Prendergast, and Rodman Hall was built by him between 1857 and 1860. The house remained in the Merritt family until 1959 when it was purchased by the St. Catharines and District Arts Council. Additional material about the history of the Merritts and Rodman Hall were added to the papers over the years and were stored in a wood chest labeled “The Honorable [W]. H. Merritt [St.] Catharines”. In 2003 Brock University acquired Rodman Hall and in 2020 an agreement was reached to sell the property to a local group known for heritage building restoration and redevelopment. Rodman Hall was designated as a heritage building under the Ontario Heritage Act in 2018.

Click here to view the Merritt Family/Rodman Hall collection finding aid