Picton Armoury was built in 1913 as the home for 16th Prince Edward Regiment, a local militia unit with origins dating back to the 1800s.The United Empire Loyalists who settled in the county of Hastings and Prince Edward organized the first local Militia units for self-defence. The Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment is the modern descendant of those Militia units.
In 1800, Colonel A Macdonnell formed the 1st Regiment of Prince Edward Militia and in 1804 Colonel. J Ferguson formed the 1st Regiment of Hastings Militia. The Regiments provided units that served in the War of 1812, MacKenzie Rebellion, South African War and both World Wars. Author Farley Mowat was a platoon commander in the Regiment during the Second World War. In 1920, the 16th Prince Edward Regiment and 49th Hastings Rifles were amalgamated to form the Hastings & Prince Edward Regiment.
During both World Wars the Armoury served as a recruiting depot, drill hall and home base/training camp for the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment. For years after, the Armoury served the community, hosting dances, badminton tournaments, and served as a school in the 1950s when the town’s school was destroyed by a fire.
Local architects Scott Bailey and Lindsey Reid were chosen to bring the Armoury into the future. Renovations started in 2017 and revealed many great finds. The original wood-planked floors were uncovered which high school dances were held on. The team also found beautiful window openings behind walls and boarded panels, brick walls painted in regiment colours, soldiers’ ID numbers scratched into bricks circa 1939-1940, old letters and song sheets. Their findings were documented and displayed behind glass in the Atrium section of the building. On the bottom floor there is an impressive photo collage close to 30 feet long that highlights some of the finds.
In 2019, the Armoury had two quilts commissioned by the Prince Edward County Barnyard Quilt Trails: Strong and FREEdom and Like a Rolling KeySTONE.
