The building is a vibrant blue, accented by bright yellow that helps to accentuate the architecture. It’s not just the paint going on by the crew of DL Painting that is accomplishing this. Elements have also been added to the building to bring back glamour of the past.
The work is part of the town’s Main Street façade program. LeBlanc is investing heavily into the look of the building well beyond the $5,000 in matching funds he’ll receive through the façade program.
“I believe in the preservation of downtown historic buildings and the Yarmouth facade incentive program is a step in the right direction to help and encourage commercial property owners on Main Street to spruce up their properties,” he says. “For me, I've always loved this building and want it to be a highly visible cornerstone to the central downtown area, hence the loud colour scheme.”
LeBlanc always felt the north and south walls of the Gothic Revival style building – which was built in 1845 – were more decorative than the front side that faces Main Street. So he’s had decorative mouldings added to the façade and ornate woodwork added at front peak to enhance the building’s architectural features.
The building is steeped with history. It’s been a medical clinic – home to several generations of Farish doctors – and housed naval academy offices, business offices and real estate offices. In the early 1900s it served nearly two decades as an American Consulate. LeBlanc intends to highlight this aspect of the building’s history by now naming it The Consulate Building.
In addition to DL Painting, also working on site have been East Coast Scaffolding and Howard Hurlburt Construction.
The building is now home to Victory Realty and the Dominion Lending Centers, (Split Rock Learning Centre also rents space in it.)
LeBlanc hopes the façade program, and the work that he’s invested in his building, will continue to encourage others to enhance their buildings.
“I hope other owners will jump on board to help revitalize the downtown and make it feel like a welcoming place for visitors to want to stay,” says LeBlanc.
