The final stage for our heritage designation is now complete with the installation of an elegant round plaque, cast in brass, measuring 10" across. Mr Sandy Maclean, master stonemason had the task of permanently installing the plaque at the front entrance.
The house's journey toward this designation: Statement of Cultural Heritage Value, Heritage Designation Approval, Notice of Intention, and Official Certification.
On May 31st, we had the pleasure of hosting a little get together with friends and neighbours to celebrate this honour. Guests were greeted with coffee, tea, orange juice and home baked muffins.
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| Trisha McKibbin, St Marys Museum and Archives Manager, a key figure in the realization of our heritage designation. |
Twenty-eight people showed up on that beautiful Saturday morning, filling the library, the dining room and spilling into the hallway. It was so nice to see the house filled with people.
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| Forground: Paul King, board member of Community Heritage Ontario and member of St. Marys Heritage Committee. |
St Marys' Mayor Steve Grose spoke wonderfully, as usual, on the importance of history and heritage preservation for St Marys. Larry Pfaff, co-chair of Heritage St Marys, spoke eloquently on the history of our house, its unique architectural details and the importance of caring owners. Brian was also one of the speakers thanking everyone for joining us.
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| From left, Mayor Steve Grose, Brian and Larry Pfaff. |
A thank you to Stew Slater, journalist and photographer for the Journal Argus. You were invited as a friend, but we appreciate the exposure.
The dogs, naturally social, were very happy to see so many people and to get so much attention.
Mayor Grose gave us the honour of unveiling the plaque, ending the morning on a joyful note.
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| Trisha McKibbin, Mayor Steve Grose, Larry Pfaff, moi and Brian. |
There are so many misconceptions on the topic of heritage designation, misconceptions not dissimilar to urban legends or old wives tales, based on exaggerated stories and/or ignorance. There will always be people propagating erroneous information on the topic, but the truth is easily found.
A house is not a museum. Wall colours and furnishings will change from owner to owner, personal taste and modernization is inevitable, especially in such rooms as the kitchen and bathroom. One needs the conveniences of modern day life in order to fully enjoy one's home. These conveniences keep a home relevant, comfortable and desirable, but respecting its antique nature is important to us. We consider ourselves custodians of this house, trying our best to preserve, maintain and protect the important work previous owners have done before us.
On the topic of building preservation, here is a link from one of my favourite blogs, The Craftsman:
"Demolition is a Choice not a Solution"
A special thank you to Trisha McKibbin of the St Marys Museum and all who helped make the designation possible.
A house is not a museum. Wall colours and furnishings will change from owner to owner, personal taste and modernization is inevitable, especially in such rooms as the kitchen and bathroom. One needs the conveniences of modern day life in order to fully enjoy one's home. These conveniences keep a home relevant, comfortable and desirable, but respecting its antique nature is important to us. We consider ourselves custodians of this house, trying our best to preserve, maintain and protect the important work previous owners have done before us.
On the topic of building preservation, here is a link from one of my favourite blogs, The Craftsman:
"Demolition is a Choice not a Solution"
A special thank you to Trisha McKibbin of the St Marys Museum and all who helped make the designation possible.
UPDATE
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| St Marys Journal Argus - Wednesday, June 4, 2014 Journalist/Photographer: Stew Slater |