Restoration of heritage building at pioneer village in Ontario wins provincial award

A $600,000 restoration project at Pickering Museum Village has been awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation.

The 2024 restoration of the museum’s log house and log barn – both built in 1830 and moved to Pickering Museum Village in 1972 – was completed last year by B.A. Construction, with the total cost of the project coming in just over $600,000, with the net cost to the city pegged at $545,180.

The Log Barn and Log House are the oldest buildings on the museum site.

The log barn was built in the small German settlement of Denbigh, north of Kaladar in eastern Ontario. The structure consists of two barns seamlessly joined together, featuring hand-hewn squared timber construction and dovetail corners. Early wooden pegs, known as trenails, were whittled by hand to secure the frames together. These are visible at the top of the door frames and on the ceiling of the barn.

The log house was built on Brimley Road, south of Sheppard Avenue in Scarborough, and donated to the Pickering Museum Village in 1959. The 1.5 story home is constructed of wide-hewn, squared, dovetailed pine timbers.

The restoration included conservation of the masonry using heritage mortars, repairs to the existing woodwork and wooden windows and replacement of the cedar shake roofing. Wherever possible, materials were reused, such as the reclaimed foundation stones. Native softwood was sourced to ensure material accuracy.

The project “transformed” the buildings into a welcoming and functional space to facilitate programs, events and a new permanent exhibit, Roots to Rebellion, which explores early Black settler history, noted Pickering Mayor Kevin Ashe.

“We are honoured to receive the Lieutenant Governor’s Ontario Heritage Award for Excellence in Conservation,” Ashe said. “This recognition highlights our commitment to preserving Pickering’s unique culture and built heritage. The restoration of the log house and barn ensures that these important landmarks continue to educate, inspire, and connect our community for generations to come.”