Issue 90

The Hastings County Historical Society

N e x t m • * * M e e t in g Tearing Down Monday, February 18th 8:00 p.m. Heritage Day Coffee - 7:30 p.m. Our History Quinte living Centre, Belleville From The Toronto Star sage quivering along our feel alive within their wall are part of the allure of old S peaker spine, that the footsteps buildings. That, and the Mrs. Vicki Benn n the seven didn’t belong to anything sense of our own past they Former Director of the years since her death, living. convey. But those Allan MacPherson House Ithe house had are not things to and Park in Napanee never felt so strange, so oddly which dollar signs Topic threatening. It was may be attached, Folk Medical Practices empty, and yet and so, too often, and Beliefs in Nineteenth that night he we tear down our Century Upper Canada heard footsteps. history. Visitors, Members & New Upstairs, down­ One old mansion Members are Welcome stairs, along the may not seem like maze of dusty cor­ a big deal, but sadly ridors he shone this is not an issue his flashlight And of just one place. The then suddenly he “Ours is one of Architectural reminded himself the worst heritage Conservancy that policemen The Police Station at Market Square, built in 1850, building preserva­ Of Ontario don’t believe in was once Belleville's town hall and market building. tion records of any Quinte ghosts. western nation,” A policeman regularly Old houses can do that says Alec Keefer, president Branch checks this house, once to you - especially when of the Toronto region will meet in Picton on home to a legendary 19th- they’re a century and a half branch of the Architectural Sunday century lumber baron. But old, have 35 rooms, no elec­ Conservancy of Ontario. February 17,1991. this time he knew, some­ tricity and it’s the middle Admittedly, not every­ Meet at the Museum at where down inside where of a wet and windy night. thing can or should be pre­ 2 p.m. to hear a speaker our sixth sense lives and Charm, romanticism, the served but, in Canada, we describe the progress of so often sends an eerie mes­ memories you can almost keep at best G.15 per cent The Loyalist Parkway. Continued on page 3 Refreshments will be served at Macaulay House in The Macaulay The Hastings Heritage Park. County Historical There is no charge, and Society everyone is welcome. P.O. Box 1418, For more information Belleville, Ontairo phone 969-0734 or 746-7221 K8N 5J1 A Gala Event In 1863 Hastings County n looking-for some­ large number of persons about 8,000 bushels, in lum­ thing else in the Daily from Ameliasburgh and b er about 120,000 feet T he Museum Leader, a Toronto Belleville had gathered to keel was laid by Mr. John 2 5 7 Bridge S t. Ea st Inewspaper of the periodwitness the launch, and Tate, and the vessel was Belleville, O ntario 1852 to 1878,1 have come probably there were not finished by Mr. Boprey. The K8N 1P4 across the news item that less than 500 to 600 per­ sails: and rigging will be fur­ follows. It was lifted by the sons present. The vessel nished by Mr. James fal­ Leader from the Belleville was gaily decked with coner, of Kingston. This is Intelligencer, and appeared colours (sic), and present­ the third vessel built by the in the Leader’s column enti­ ed a fine appearance as she Messrs. Bogart, and we tled “Marine Intelligence”. moved off the ways into understand so well satis­ That column reported daily her native element. Mrs. fied are they of this kind of the arrivals and clearings F.D. Conger, daughter of property, that they are con­ of vessels at Toronto, and A.L. Bogart, Esq., per­ templating laying the keel often the same for those at formed the christening cer­ of another this fall, which Oswego and Quebec It con­ emony, naming the vessel will double the capacity of tained other news of the “Jennie Conger” after one the “Jessie Conger”. Suc­ marine interest, as the fol­ of her daughters. About cess to their enterprise. lowing item demonstrates. one hundred ladies and gen­ tlemen were on board at When a sea route to China La u n c h in g on the time she was launched. A& w L' was discovered in the early Wednesday afternoon, a The “Jessie Conger” is a Sixteenth Century vast schooner owned by the snug trim craft, 88 feet keel, A.G.W. Lamont, quantities of porcelain trav­ Messrs. Bogart was 23 feet beam, and having a 19 Hill S t, elled to the west as ballast launched from the yard at hold 8 feet 6 inches. She is in holds of trading ships. the Ferry Dock, immedi­ 200 hundred tons burthen, Picton, Ontario ately opposite Belleville. A and her capacity in grain is 1990 December 20 Chinese Export Porce­ lain a guest exhibit from Parks Canada follows a fas­ cinating story of Chinese Export porcelain from its manufacture in China to its discovery at many historic Heritage sites across Canada. Come and enjoy the many styles and patterns of the Chinese Showcase 1991 export porcelain trade. ‘Glanmore’, the Hastings County Museum, is pleased An Event To Celebrate! to present from Environ­ Saturday, February 16th ment Canada, Canadian 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Parks Service, The Chinese Join us in exploring our Province's rich and diverse history. Porcelain Exhibit from Jan Take the opportunity to meet people involved in preserving and 20 to March 23,1991. interpreting Quinte's Heritage The Hastings County Muse­ See a vast array of exhibits, demonstrations, and special um is open Tuesday through Sunday 1:00 - 4:30 presentations. p.m.

For more information please contact the Hast­ belleville plaza ings County Museum at 9 6 2 -2 3 2 9 . 470 Dun das Street East, Bellville Tearing Down History from page 1 Historic Quinte of our buildings, compared even if the municipality does with 3.5 per cent in the US, this, it can just as easily take says Keefer. the historical designation Although there is similar away. awareness in Toronto, that’s Even if the historic des­ not true throughout the ignation is not removed, province. Virtually - even the owner can legally begin the government - agrees demolition if he waits 180 the province’s heritage act days from the date that doesn’t adequately protect demolition permit is our buildings. refused. In Canada, says Keefer, It is the very inadequate we just don’t seem to care 1975 Ontario Heritage Act as much. We don’t have a that has allowed so many keen awareness of our his­ historic sites to be tory. Our education system destroyed. fails to instill this sense of Presently there are plans pride, of interest. Now, of drafting changes to the there’s a lot of emphasis on act that would broaden and cleaning up pollution, recy­ strengthen provincial power, cling. But we need to real­ giving it the ability to des­ ize part of the idea of sav­ ignate a building and ensure ing the environment is not that a designated property The Billa Flint Home taking new bricks and build­ not be demolished without ing new buildings when we some system of consider­ Senator Billa Flint have old ones which could ation. 1805 - 1894 be used. It might also give an indi­ This building, erected in 1835, was the home of Billa We need better laws and vidual citizen the right to Flint. Along the shore once stood his saw mills, flour more money spent on her­ ask that a building be des­ mills, wharves, and stonehouses. His business enter­ prises contributed to the economic growth of Belleville itage and preservation. Our ignated historic. and many communities throughout Hastings County. system as it is now, has too These changes, howev­ Senator Flint was mayor of Belleville in 1866 and became many serious flaws. er, are still under review. It If an Ontario property will be at least a year before one of Canada’s first Senators in 1867. owner wants to demolish a they become law, and if they structure, there is gener­ do it will require the inter­ ally nothing that can be est of local residents to done to save it, not even if ensure that they are fol­ Renovation and it is a designated historic lowed. site. But 600 out of 800 Ontario Restoration Course To designate a building municipalities have not Algonquin College in Concurrent with the of historic or architectural appointed such an adviso­ Perth, Ontario, The School development of manual interest means to place ry body, says Beth Hanna, of Lanark County, has skills, students will acquire restrictions on its owners’ Ontario Historical Society recently completed its sec­ a wide variety of academic ability to change or demol­ President. “Unless local ond semester of a new Her­ skills, such as knowledge ish it. However, only a local people are willing to become itage Carpentry and Mill- of the history of building municipality is allowed to involved, we are still going work program that is unique technology and engineer­ designate a property. And to lose a lot of our history.” in Canada. ing principles involved in The two-year diploma pro­ domestic, public and com­ Take Note & Don't Forget gram provides graduates mercial architecture; com­ with the necessary skills munication, drafting and The next meeting is and knowledge to become mathematical skills; and Monday, February 18th renovation and restoration knowledge of the associat­ carpenters. In addition to ed construction trades, with at 8:00 p.m. these abilities, graduates special regard to safety mea­ Heritage Day Coffee 7:30 p.m. will be able to produce archi­ sures in dealing with ren­ Quinte Living Centre, tectural millwork and join­ ovation projects. ery for buildings of tradi­ Belleville tional style. Financial Report for the Hastings County Archives Historical Society on the activities undertaken in 1990 by Three workshops were and photographs of h e held in h e Canadiana Room Corbin Lock Company was Gerry Boyce of the Belleville Public donated, covering h e years December 20,1990 Library, where the Histor­ from the Springer Lock Part One: The Covered Bridge ical Society's Archives are Company to the Interna­ filed, with h e exception of tional Hardware Company at Trenton the Picture Archives which and the Emhart Company. In view of the interest in the “Great Slide” in Novem­ are located in h e Society's Letters requesting infor­ ber, arrangements were made to sell copies of the Soci­ office at h e Museum and mation arrive from time to ety’s 1980 book The Covered Bridge At Trenton on the h e City Hall records locat­ time during h e year. The day of the slide. The only condition was that the proceeds ed at Sir James Whitney information sought covered had to go to the Trenton Memorial Hospital Fund. School. Attending h e work­ such subjects as a 1917 ship­ Copies offered for sale had a special insert, noting that shops were Gerry Boyce, wreck, the operations and they were souvenirs of the Great Slide. Marian Fisher and Beth dates of two Belleville com­ G reen. panies, and h e letter from 65 copies w ere sold at the Slide site on Nov. 19. 8 copies Included in material a professor of law at McGill were sold at the Society’s General Meeting on Nov. 20. donated during 1990 were University requesting local The 73 copies sold at two dollars each for a total of $146.00 the family papers of the information on "labour and Bleecker family, land h e Law in 19th Century The Society’s share is 60% or $87.60 records of h e Homan fam­ Ontario"! Our archives are The Hospital’s share is 40% or $58.40 ily, and M cCullough fami­ invaluable research ly papers from 1813 to 1920. resource material when Subsequently, the following retailers purchased quan­ Quite recently a large col­ replying to such letters. tities of the book, at the wholesale price of $1.20 per copy: lection of old record books Titles Book Shop Inc. 10 copies W & R Greenley 10 copies Gerry Boyce 10 copies The Society’s income for these 30 copies is $36.00 New Heritage Railway Station Protection Act Accordingly, the Society’s total income for all the sales is $123.60. A cheque for this amount was presented to the Proclaimed Society, & a cheque was presented to The Trenton Memo­ rial Hospital Fund in the amount of $58.40 On August 15,1990 Fed­ of the Governor in Coun­ eral Environment Minister cil. A railway company plan­ Robert Cotret announced ning such action must give the proclaimation of the public notice of its inten­ new Heritage Railway Sta­ tion thereby providing an tions Protection Act. opportunity for concerned The Act provides for the citizens and Outlook designation . g ro u p s to of railway ^ f com­ The Hastings County Historical Society Newsletter stations as a ^ ment h e r i t a g e on th e Outlook is published monthly for the Friends and railway p r o - Members of the Hastings County Historical sta ­ \ posal. t io n s Any Society. It is edited & produced by Joe VanVeenen. and is ~ group Anyone wishing to submit articles or information intended to encour­ or individ­ can contact the editor at 613-969-0001, between 9-5, age h eir preservation for ual wishing to or visit him at Design Perfect Communications, h e benefit of future gen­ have a railway station des­ 121 Dundas St. West, Belleville, Ont. erations. According to h e ignated under h e Heritage Act, no railway company Railway Stations Protection may, in any way, alter or Act should contact The This Newsletter is produced on a dispose of a designated her­ Executive Secretary, His­ Macintosh Ilex using Quark Xpress and itage railway station owned toric Sites & Monuments is printed on better than 50% by it or under its control Board of Canada, Ottawa, recycled paper without the authorization Ontario K1A0H3