History
The Peel Heritage Complex (PHC) represents a community investment in the preservation of arts, heritage and culture. Primarily funded by the Region of Peel, the PHC also qualifies for provincial and federal funding and receives grants from private foundations and corporations.
William Perkins Bull
The origin of the art and artifact collection lies with a man named William Perkins Bull, who began researching and collecting objects in the 1930s and 1940s. Bull became an author and expert on Peel history, and his collection was maintained in numerous locations for several decades.
During the 1960s, the Peel County Historical Society (PCHS) worked to establish a home for Bull’s collection, and in 1968 a museum and art gallery for Peel opened on Wellington Street in Brampton.
As a volunteer organization, the PCHS successfully ran the facility until the Region of Peel assumed leadership in 1984. Volunteers continue to form the backbone of the organization, providing countless hours of leadership, community input and fundraising activities.
Renovations to the former Peel County Jail led to the opening of the Peel Heritage Complex in 1986. For the first time, the Region of Peel Archives, Peel Museum and Art Gallery of Peel existed under one roof and began to offer integrated programming and exhibitions.
