KENILWORTH – A long-time historical restoration project has reached its last stages and needs public support to come to life.
Located on Highway 6 between Arthur and Mount Forest, the Lynes Blacksmith Shop was built in 1885 and served as a forge and carriage workshop for two generations of the Lynes family until it closed its doors for good in 1955.
Sitting untouched for approximately 60 years, the site was donated to the Township of Wellington North in 2017 by Dr. Frank Lynes, the son and grandson of the original blacksmiths James Lynes Jr. and Sr. in the hopes the property could be restored into a heritage centre for local learning.
Several years and projects later, chair of the Lynes Blacksmith Shop Committee, Kate Rowley said replacing the shop roof is the final stage of the restoration project before it can officially open and they're looking for community support to help make it happen.
"I've always called (the blacksmith shop) a community restoration project so now we're turning back to the community again hopefully for the last time because once it's done...it becomes a little more self-sustaining," said Rowley.
According to Rowley, the committee hopes to replace the property's current green roof with one with a dormer and chimney to help the property look authentic to how it did in the 1800s.
Set to be replaced by the first week of October, Rowley said it will cost approximately $114,000 to replace the roof and the committee will be delegating to Wellington North council on Monday, August 26, asking for a $125,000 loan to help with the campaign.
"The roof's kind've an outlier- it's a big ticket item we knew we'd have to fundraise for so we haven't done anything other than make it public," said Rowley. "The idea is now that this is happening, that the work is going ahead, it's easier to raise money for something that's going to happen than saying something is going to happen."
Having raised about half of the roof money needed so far, Rowley said the community support for the project has been fantastic and many people, especially those who knew the Lynes', remain committed to helping finish the restoration.
"The will is there for this project...there's people that want to see this finished," said Rowley. "They want to put their stamp on something that's going to be here for a while. History is a funny thing that way. It's sort of a way of everyone marking their place, right? And so being a part of this has become important to people to mark their little place in history."
Once the roof is restored, Rowley said the hope is the shop and site will serve as a small-scale living history experience throughout the summer, similar to a pioneer village, with interactive displays and live re-enactments.
While there are no concrete plans, Rowley said the committee also wants to restore the Lynes family home and village barn on the property to be a part of the experience.
“We're hoping to create a little heritage oasis in the middle of all this bustle," said Rowley. "Once you get school groups and things back here it becomes another world and it's rather great."
Residents can donate to the raise the roof campaign or book a tour of the site by visiting lynesblacksmithshop.org or contacting Kate Rowley at the Mount Forest Museum and Archives: 519-323-4755 or [email protected].
Isabel Buckmaster is the Local Journalism Initiative reporter for GuelphToday. LJI is a federally-funded program.
