Heritage Restoration
Digital Resources & Educational Tools
We’re Glad You’re Here
We believe that historic sites reach their full potential when they are vibrant community spaces that nurture a growing passion for learning. Our team of seasoned experts and budding heritage professionals have been hard at work restoring and re-imagining this historic site as a new cultural centre for Niagara.
Along the way, we have developed numerous resources for fellow preservationists, and we hope you find them useful in your own journeys. On this page you can find videos and information regarding heritage plaster repairs, colonial-era wall stenciling, heritage masonry, wallpaper conservation, sealing with oakum, and more! Stay tuned as we will be producing more videos in the upcoming months on topics like window restoration, heritage carpentry, and stained glass conservation.
Why We Preserve
Since Day One, we have taken the approach that for a building to be protected it has to have a purpose. It has to mean something to the people who use it. If we want the house to last for another 200 years, we need to give people a reason to come here and something to do when they get here. Learn more about our approach towards heritage conservation by reading the journal article below.
A Note of Gratitude
Much of our restoration has been
completed by knowledgeable individuals affiliated with the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts in Queenston, Ontario. The school is a pillar in the community and we are grateful for the important work they do in the stewardship of historic places.
Preserving with Oakum
Have you heard of “oakum” before? In this video, Rick demonstrates a traditional method for sealing small gaps in the Norton Cabin using oakum. This will help us preserve the building while allowing it to maintain its heritage character.
Colonial
Wall Stenciling
Painted stencil motifs have traditionally decorated Georgian homes like ours here in Niagara. In the John Brown House dining room there are three beautiful samples of original stencilwork done by the Brown family in the early 1800s! Using Paraloid B-72 as a protective coating is just one way we can preserve these samples. Paraloid is an acrylic polymer widely used in heritage conservation work and we recently applied a sample on some of the original stencils that remain.
Heritage Masonry
It’s important to repair heritage buildings with like materials. That means the stone John Brown House and our brick outbuildings require careful maintenance by expert masons. Patrick van Velzen is our go-to guy for this type of work! You can see him working hard in some of the photos below. Check out this educational video with Rick to learn more about our 1860s brick dairy and the process of repointing.
Wallpaper & Plaster
We’ve been experimenting with posting short reels on Instagram and TikTok, hoping to reach broader audiences and engage with people via rapid bursts of information in a short video format. Check out the videos below and if you like what you see, head to our social accounts to view some more!