Doors Open Kincardine set for Oct. 17-18

Feature

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Kincardine's second Doors Open event will be held Oct. 17-18, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., allowing people to have a peek inside houses and businesses that may not normally be open to the public, as well as familiar sites that are always open.

Some of the sites being featured:

*The Job Carr House on the 12th of Bruce Township was built in 1885. Job Carr commissioned Alexander Brunton, a stonemason, to build him a stone house. The house is now a home and retreat centre called "Lost Gardens."

*The John Keyworth/Prenger House, Princes Street, Kincardine, is tucked away at the end of Princes Street. Originally a farmhouse built about 1857 for John Keyworth, it has had many additions over the years.

*The Pavilion Dance Hall, at the foot of Durham Street, Kincardine, was designed and built by George Conley in 1923 for dancing, featuring an especially resilient three-layer floor. One of the last remaining dance halls on the shores of Lake Huron, the Pavilion has been completely restored.

*The Rectory on Highway 9 in Bervie, was built around 1874, and designated by its owner, Samuel Colwell, for use by the Anglican Church for 100 years. Much of the original structure's interior and exterior features remain intact, and it has many collections and interesting furniture.

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22/09/2009 12:39 PM

The homes and businesses opening their doors are ones that demonstrate and exemplify the rich cultural, natural and architectural heritage of this community. Some still have their historic uses, such as churches, while some will have been sympathetically adapted for re-use, or are restoration projects.

The Doors Open idea began in France in 1984 and in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1990. From there, it has spread to more than 47 countries worldwide. It is an opportunity to inform and educate local citizens and visitors of the importance of architectural, cultural and natural heritage sites in their community.

Toronto initiated Doors Open in Canada as its millennium project. In 2002, the Ontario Heritage Foundation (now the Ontario Heritage Trust) launched a province-wide program. This year, there are more than 50 events province-wide.

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