The famous Garrick Club, named after David Garrick, the great English actor of the eighteenth century, was a society of amateur players destined to place Hamilton in the forefront of Canadian cities as far as appreciation of drama was concerned. The Garrick Club started in 1875, chiefly through the efforts of John Crerar Q.C., who desired to form a drama company.

It was said that the Garrick Club was the first of the "Little Theatres" in America thereby characterizing Hamilton as being the cradle of the theatrical movement within Canada. The club had a Dominion-wide reputation and gave as many as 5 to 6 performances per season. Their first production took place on October 8, 1875, and consisted of two plays: T.W. Robertson's comedy "David Garrick" and a farce called "Raising the Wind".

In the early days, the actors met at the corner of Gore and James Streets and plays were usually performed in the Grand Opera House. Members of the club were amongst the cream of Hamilton's society. Some of these included Martin C. Hebert, a partner in the Baker & Hebert bankers and brokers, J.D. Pigott, an employee of the Bank of British North America, David Steele, a barrister, Emma O'Reilley Gregory, a pioneer worker for women's suffrage, and her daughter Helen Emma Gregory who became a renowned judge.

The club had well organized and very comfortable club rooms which were first located at 35 King Street East in the Right House, which then moved to the Grand Opera House. From there they moved to 17 Main Street East, and finally to 5 Walnut Street East. During its life, the club managed to earn several thousand dollars from the performances as audiences were always large and quite fashionable. Productions were also given for the benefit of various charities including the Girl's Home, the Home of the Friendless, the Police Benefit Fund, the Hamilton Cricket Club, and the Victorian Order of Nurses.

The theatre company lasted for 35 years which was considered an extraordinarily long period for an amateur organization. In 1910, the Club was faltering and the advent of the first World War stopped any further productions.

The Spectator of October 30, 1926 carried a request for the revival of the old Garrick Club. The article read: "the request for the revival of the old club has been so persistent that a few interested people, some of whom are ex-members of the Garrick Club, have formed themselves into a small committee and have decided to put on three small one-act plays on the evening of November 24." If the plays, which included "A Matter of Husbands", "The Twelve-Pound Look", and "Kitty Clive", were given sufficient interest and support, more were promised to follow and a new club would become a permanent feature of the City's social and intellectual life. As a result, the Player's Guild sprang out of the ashes of the old Garrick Club.