Crafts of yesteryear have a bright future in Ontario

New school of restoration arts finds a home at Queenston’s historic Willowbank Estate

 

The 169-year-old Willowbank Estate has been saved to house a unique school of restoration arts.

Imagine a school of restoration arts housed in a grand 169-year-old estate—with renovations to the school itself underway! This dream has come true for the many supporters of the historic Willowbank Estate in Queenston.

Thanks to a movement headed by Laura Dodson of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Conservancy Society and by the American Friends of Canada, the grand home was saved from demolition last year. The group was able to purchase the building for conversion into a unique school that will offer master classes with experts from across North America and England.

This stone mansion, sitting atop a hill facing the Niagara River, was built in 1834 by the sheriff of Niagara, Alexander Hamilton. Regarded as one of the finest examples of colonial architecture in North America, it is one of only three surviving Greek revival houses designed by renowned architect John Latshaw.

Classical detailing graces a Willowbank mantel, festooned for the holiday season.

The Willowbank school will provide a comprehensive restoration arts curriculum, aided in part by a $150,000 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Course offerings will include two- and three-year apprenticeship programs and hands-on workshops in restoring or reproducing heritage objects. The school will teach internal and external renovation techniques as well as restoration of furniture, books, textiles and landscaping; a Saturday morning lecture series is already underway for anyone interested in heritage preservation. Given the province’s wealth of historic homes, and the rarity of such programs—Willowbank will be the only school of its kind in Ontario—the opening of this centre of excellence is good news for heritage lovers everywhere.