Holland College interested in Charlottetown log cabin restoration
'We would certainly be willing to assess the potential of our involvement'
The idea of heritage carpentry students working on a historic log home in Charlottetown is a good one, says an official at Holland College.
The log house on Hillsborough Street — believed to date back to the 1840s — was purchased by Ray Campbell with the hope of turning it into a café. But upon discovering the building's true age and condition, Campbell said restoration wasn't feasible. The city issued a stop-work order last month when it appeared Campbell was about to begin demolition.
"It's an interesting idea that we would certainly be willing to assess the potential of our involvement in," said Mike O'Grady, vice-president of innovation, enterprise and strategic development at the college.
The idea was floated by Greg Rivard, city councillor and chair of Charlottetown's planning and heritage committee. His idea is that the city could purchase the log house and potentially offer it up as a restoration project to students in the heritage retrofit carpentry program at Holland College.
'Unlike anything we've taken on'
Although no formal talks on a potential partnership have taken place, O'Grady said the college regularly hears from both homeowners and institutions asking heritage carpentry students to get involved in restoration efforts, or for their advice on working with historic buildings or artifacts.
To be considered as a project for students, the work needs to fit the course curriculum. O'Grady said log construction is something students do cover as part of the course.
"The building techniques employed in that structure are currently being taught in our program," O'Grady said.
The next step in a partnership would be a formal assessment of the property including details on the intended use of the building and materials, followed by a thorough estimate of what it would take to restore, he said.
O'Grady estimates the scope of the restoration would be a unique undertaking compared to projects the college has tackled in the past.
"The scale of the effort — in terms of time, cost and resources on this project — would be unlike anything we've taken on to date," he said.
Representatives from the city's heritage department are set to meet with owner Ray Campbell this week to discuss his current plans for the property and assess his willingness to sell to the city.
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