Born in Dartmouth, George Wright left the area at an early age and worked in the United States. He saw that businesses had difficulty marketing their goods worldwide.
With this need, he developed the Wright’s Business Directory – there is currently a copy of this at the Dartmouth Heritage Museum. He traveled to many countries, getting information on a great variety of businesses. It was this directory that made him a wealthy man.
Wright was interested in many areas, including hunting and fishing, horses, photography, antiques, art, and travel for pleasure. He was well known as a great yachtsman around the world, having won a great number of races. He donated a cup to the Royal Nova Scotian Yacht Squadron that is still in use today!
He returned to Halifax upon retirement and began developing properties in the city with the goal of making Halifax a world-class city. He built houses for the healthy and the working poor alike. He also began a project to develop new office buildings on Barrington Street. He finished the Marble Building and the St. Paul’s Building. It appears that all the buildings he built are still in use today.
George was also a philanthropist and one who felt we should do good in the community. He wrote of this need and his letters were printed around North America, including in New York papers. It said that no one who asked for help was ever refused. He was impressed with the Local Council of Women in Halifax and the work they did. He admired the women for their ability to get things done!
On one of his trips abroad, he changed his booking to return home on the Titanic. He met with his London lawyer before sailing, and at that time, with great foresight and appreciation of what women could do, he left his private home on Young Avenue to the Local Council of Women. He wanted them to have a proper place to meet, allowing them to continue the work that they were doing.
For many years, “The George Wright House” has been a meeting place for community groups for meetings and special events for women in the city.
