Municipality of Chatham-Kent Community Development Planning Services To: Mayor and Members of Council From: Anthony Jas Planner I, Planning Services Date: October 4, 2019 Subject: Ontario Heritage Act - Intention to Designate 21991 A. D. Shadd Road, Community of Raleigh This report is for the information of Council. Background Our inheritance of architecture and cultural landscapes is an irreplaceable asset and resource. In Ontario, the task of conserving these important assets is primarily a municipal responsibility. The Ontario Heritage Act (the “Act”) provides a framework within which municipalities can act to identify and conserve properties of historical and/or architectural significance. Council has established the Municipal Heritage Committee to advise Council on heritage matters. At its August 15, 2018 meeting, the Municipal Heritage Committee passed a motion recommending that the property known as the North Buxton Community Church, located at 21991 A. D. Shadd Road, in the Community of Raleigh (North Buxton), be designated under Part IV of the Act for its cultural heritage value or interest. Members of the Congregation of the North Buxton Community Church were in attendance at this meeting in support of the motion. A Heritage Designation Report prepared to support the designation of this property is attached as Appendix A. The North Buxton Community Church The North Buxton Community Church was built in 1867 as a British Methodist Episcopal church and is an excellent surviving example of a restrained pre-Confederation rural Church. The rectangular frame structure with a medium pitched roof, simple Gothic- arched coloured glass windows and no steeple or bell tower and little exterior decorative elements is typical of 3rd quarter of the 19th century British/African Methodist Episcopal Churches in Ontario. Over the years, the church has undergone some renovations however the exterior appears much as it would have originally. Ontario Heritage Act - Intention to Designate 2 21991 A. D. Shadd Road, Community of Raleigh In addition to the principal structure, the property has a high level of cultural heritage value for several reasons: Associations to an historically important religious movement that was unique to the early black settlements of Canada; Many historically significant figures have an association to the Buxton Church; The cemetery documents the chronology of the Buxton Settlement and provides an important genealogical and historical record of the settlement’s earliest residents, many of whom were refugees from slavery; and, As a still-functioning church, cemetery, and hall for the community, it is recognized as an important feature in the Parks Canada National Historic Site designation. Comments The direction of the Municipal Heritage Committee to move forward with the designation process for this property is being brought forward to Council in accordance with the Ontario Heritage Act. However, the Committee’s advice is being received by Council, through Administration, as an Information Report with no recommendation. This approach is based on Council’s precedent that decisions to designate property be initiated and/or supported by the owner(s) of the property under consideration. The owner on Title of the property is the British Methodist Episcopal Church (BMEC). In this case, the designation request was brought forward to the Municipal Heritage Committee by members of the North Buxton Community Church, who regularly use the building for services and other events. Taking this into consideration, and to provide Council with more information on the matter, several attempts have been made requesting comment from the BMEC. Two of these attempts were made by email and included information regarding the advice to Council from the Municipal Heritage Committee recommending that the property be designated under the Act. The correspondence also included a copy of the Heritage Designation Report. To date, no comments have been received from the BMEC. In terms of process, Council should be made aware that it is not a legislated requirement under the Act that an owner of a property initiate the designation process. Rather, it is entirely at the discretion of Council. This is pursuant to Section 29(1) of the Act, which states that a council of a municipality may, by by-law, designate a property within the municipality to be of cultural heritage value or interest if it meets one or more of the Criteria under Ontario Regulation 9/06. The Designation Report contains a statement explaining the cultural heritage value or interest of this property, and a description of the heritage attributes of the property. Ontario Heritage Act - Intention to Designate 3 21991 A. D. Shadd Road, Community of Raleigh The following options are for the consideration of Council regarding this matter and include implications concerning the designation process with respect to this property: 1) Not to proceed with the designation – Council can receive this report as information only and not proceed with designation at this time. This will not preclude this property from being considered for designation in the future. 2) Pass a motion to proceed with the designation - Notice of Intention to Designate is then served in accordance with the Act. If there are no objection(s), the final request to designate comes back to Council. Should there be an objection(s), there is an objection process to the Conservation Review Board before the final request comes back to Council for final decision. Council can withdraw its Notice of Intention to Designate at any time. Consultation Municipal Heritage Committee The Municipal Heritage Committee was consulted in accordance with Section 29(2) of the Act. The Committee supports the recommended heritage designation. Prepared by: Reviewed by: ____________________________ ____________________________ Anthony Jas Ryan Jacques, MCIP, RPP Planner I, Planning Services Manager, Planning Services Reviewed by: Reviewed by: ____________________________ ____________________________ Bruce McAllister, MCIP, RPP John Norton, General Manager Director, Planning Services Community Development Attachments: Appendix A – Designation Report: 21991 A. D. Shadd Road, Community of Raleigh c Municipal Heritage Committee P:\RTC\Community Development\2019\Planning Services\Nov 18-19 Ontario Heritage Act - Intention to Designate - 21991 A.D. Shadd Road.docx Appendix A Designation Report The North Buxton Community Church Preamble: The North Buxton Community Church was built in 1867 as a British Methodist Episcopal Church. It originally had a stone foundation, wooden lap siding, wood shingle roof and a brick chimney. It is possible that it also had return eaves at the gable ends in the Greek Revival style although by 1867, use of return eaves had largely fallen out of fashion. The front enclosed portico may be original as several other Ontario churches from this period had such a feature. Over the years, the church has undergone some renovations. In the early 20th century, the exterior of the church was re-clad in insul-brick. Around 2000, the church was re-clad again in more appropriate wooden bevelled tongue and groove material. The chimney was removed when a modern heating system was installed to replace the wood stove. The original stone foundation was parged with cement at some point. The stained glass windows have been replaced with precise wooden replicas in the same glazing pattern with much of the original glass re-used. Entry doors are modern and the interior is largely renovated to accommodate the modern needs of a still-functioning church. Other than these changes, the exterior appears much as it would have originally and it is typical of other BME churches built in Ontario in the 3rd quarter of the 19th century. Appendix A Designation Report The North Buxton Community Church Description of Property The North Buxton Community Church property is located at A.D. Shadd Road in the village of North Buxton, legally described as Pt. lot 10, Conc. 8, Village of North Buxton, Raleigh Township, Chatham-Kent The property consists of an 1867 timber frame, wooden-clad church, modern community hall, and cemetery. Statement of Cultural Heritage Value or Interest Historical/Associative (OHA Reg. 9/06): The principal structure was built as a British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church in 1867 on land purchased the preceding year from early settlers Jacob and Hanna Gunn. It is believed that this replaced an earlier BME church that was destroyed by fire. The property has a high level of cultural heritage value for several reasons: i. It has associations to an historically important religious movement that was unique to the early black settlements of Canada. The British Methodist Episcopal Church evolved in Canada from the African Methodist Episcopal Church, created and organized by people of African descent (most descended from enslaved Africans taken to the Americas) as a response to being denied the opportunity to pray alongside white congregants in the Methodist church. It was originally a conference of five churches founded in 1816 by the Rt. Rev. Richard Allen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from several black Methodist congregations in the mid-Atlantic area. It was among the first denominations in the United States founded on racial rather than theological lines and it has persistently advocated for the civil and human rights of African Americans through social improvement, religious autonomy, and political engagement. The denomination then expanded