Port Joli hall heads back in time

Association Treasurer, Danielle Robertson says, “It would have been such a shame to tear down the building because it was a centre of the community since the 1800s.”

The Region of Queens provided the association with a Quit Claim deed last Feb. because the original deed disappeared. Since then, however, Robertson says, the original deed was found in a box of papers.

The former Municipality of the District of Queens sold the building to the association in 1961. Although the Quit Claim deed is registered, she says the association plans on registering the original as well sometime in the future.

In the meantime, Robertson says, “We have moved ahead quickly. We totally renovated the exterior of the hall and removed the kitchen L.” Clapboard siding, donated by her husband Charles Robertson, was used and the “L” refers to an addition that was designed to help host large community suppers, something the association no longer plans to do.

“We’re trying to restore the building to how it was originally built. We have a photograph from the 1890s and at that point it was a community school downstairs and a Temperance Hall downstairs.”

About $16,000 was raised through fundraising and three government grants. Association members plan to work more on the interior next spring. “It will probably take another two years before we’re done because there’s a lot of work involved but the hall is in remarkably good shape considering the age. According to our records, it was built in 1868.” As one example, she explains there was surprisingly little rot in the wood.

In addition to the clapboard siding, they have, and are planning to add more, “windows done in the old-fashioned way.” A Lunenburg artisan is building the “six over six window panes, “ she says.

The Region of Queens Heritage Advisory Committee also plans to consider designating the building as a municipal heritage property at its first meeting in Jan., she says.

“It would be nice to get more recognition and then we’d be eligible for more provincial grants.”

Future plans include a community historical museum that will also focus on the Port Joli area’s Loyalist and European heritage and its growing prominence as a well-known Mik’maq settlement area, Robertson says.

“Port Joli was a very populated native site. They’re (academics) are starting to realize this because there are so many sites here.”

In fact, association members will be working with an archeologist from the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Ottawa on the future display.

They also plan to use the downstairs area as a general meeting room.

Overall, Robertson says, “We’re pretty confident this will happen because the major thing was getting the exterior done. It involved all volunteer work. It’s a success story.”