Council is backing an ask to preserve local heritage and relocate Brighton’s historic 144-year-old hops barn from the former Memory Junction Museum property to municipally owned land.
The goal is to do this in spring, and the only outstanding piece of the puzzle to make this happen is council’s support, Bruce Davis, secretary-treasurer of the Brian Todd Memorial Community Fund, told council Monday, March 4, on behalf of the board of directors and project advocates.
While the group has proposed council choose a site, its recommendation is to relocate the barn to the Codrington area, explained Davis.
“This barn is one of the last physical reminders of an important part of Brighton’s agricultural 19th century history,” emphasized Davis.
The project is years in the making, with relocation efforts first started by the late Dennis ‘Fletch’ Fletcher in 2019, council heard. The hops barn has stood at its Centre Street location since 2002, explained Davis, with a packed council chamber of supporters behind him as he delivered a presentation outlining the significance of the move, the history of the barn and hops farming in the area, and the need for council’s help.
“We are seeking the approval of Brighton council to commence this project this spring,” Judie Mortlock, chair of the Brian Todd Memorial Community Fund, wrote to council in the board’s formal appeal letter.
The Brian Todd Memorial Community Fund – with help from several area businesses through in-kind support and more – will cover project costs, council heard.
Upon project completion, the barn would be “gifted” to the municipality.
To carefully dismantle, relocate and reassemble the barn, the group will work with local tradespeople, businesses and suppliers – Davis highlighted a lengthy list of partners during his presentation.
Council heard it’s too cost prohibitive to simply transport the barn on a flatbed truck, and that this idea was investigated back in 2019.
This is about preserving local heritage and preventing further deterioration of the barn, explained Davis.
Once revitalized some and in a new space, the barn will stand for years to come, potentially offering space for education, recreation, commerce, the arts, and more. When touching on the scope of work planned, Davis also noted the addition of a concrete pad at the new site (as well as other work) will provide more structural strength and expand on possibilities for potential uses.
The proposal also earlier went to the heritage advisory committee and Brighton Digital Archives and received endorsements from both.
“With council approval, we are ready to go,” said Davis.
More than half-a-dozen businesses, including Cole’s Timber Mart – which now owns the property and donated the barn to the group – have already signed on to help, which has been inspiring, explained Davis.
Barn relocation has been done before in Brighton – the Simpson barn (now the theatre) was moved to Proctor Park.
And this hops barn – built in 1880 by Willet Bedal and Elijah McMaster – was dismantled and relocated to the Memory Junction Museum property by Basil Foster McMaster in 2002 in memory of his grandparents. It was moved from the property formerly known as Lot 27, Concession 2 in the township, explained Davis.
Basil saved it from being demolished at that time, added Davis.
The barn operated as a hops kiln until 1915 – it was also dedicated in 2003 as a historical building by Lola (Bedal) Thomson in memory of her grandparents.
To ensure the barn remained standing over the years, and to now relocate it, Davis noted there are many to thank – project advocates, partners, and residents – from Basil to the Bangay family, to Fletcher, and more. And these were just a few of the names Davis highlighted.
Ultimately, council responded with support for the proposal, although the request was also referred to staff, who will have to return with a report outlining next steps, explained Mayor Brian Ostrander.
(Written by: Sarah Hyatt)
