DOORS OPEN NORTHUMBERLAND COUNTY 2013 PART 1



Park Theatre and Performing Arts Centre Cobourg Ontario

                               
This weekend Michelle, Wai and I packed up and headed to Cobourg to partake in the Doors Open Ontario venues in Northumberland County. We started at the Park Theatre and Performing Arts Centre. Antonio and his wife are now the owners of this site. It started out as a movie theatre in the 1950's and has been through various changes throughout the years. Antonia is an actor from Los Angeles who has brought back the theatre into its former glory. Stage productions are now on the venue. Antonio is involved in some of the performances. I believe that his theatrical background helps fuel his passion to bring the centre back into the spotlight! We are already making plans to attend upcoming performances (such as Abbamania and Bee Gees). I strongly recommend to those who like to go out for an evening of theatre to attend a performance at the Parkland Theatre located on King St in Cobourg (just 1 hour and a half east of Toronto on highway 401). Next we went to the neighbouring Village of Grafton ON. There we went to the Barnum House. Around 1819, Eliakim Barnum built this neo-classical styled house. The structure of this house shows the influence of the American architecture popular in the New England states in the early 19th century. This Loyalist prospered throughout the years and erected a grist mill that thrived in 1840's. The house is filled with original furniture and articles. One area of interest was the pantry. It was wallpapered. For that time, this wallpaper was a statement to all who visited the family that they were of means (not many would wallpaper the pantry). One of the rooms housed a piano that seems to be the only one in existence in Ontario. Its shape is very similar to a grand piano but with sharper corners. One could not help but be brought back in time. We then went to a site of something old becoming something new, the Wesleyan Methodist Meeting Hall. The church was built in 1851 but has been restored to a meeting place. The place still has four of the original pews. When a visitor enters, he/she is greeted with the light coming from the windows located at the back. The windows drew the visitor's attention to the breathing taking view of the lawns. A striking feature about this building is the chandeliers that hang from the high ceilings. This restoration project has been quite the success. It is something for all to see. Roseneath ON was our next destination. The Roseneath Carousel was built in 1909 by C.W. Parker in Kansas USA.  The Roseneath Agricultural Society found it at Mohawk Park in Brantford ON and purchased it for $675.00 in 1932. The Carousel Restoration committee formed in 1966 took on the challenge to restore the carousel to its original state. The committee more than succeeded and on July 17, 1993 the high quality ride able carousel was open for business. All the horses on the carousel are wooden with real horse hair for the tails. There are also two rocking boats on the ride. The whole family went on the ride. What fun! It brought me back to memories of childhood. I congratulated the volunteers who have taken their time to restore this ride to its former glory. St. George's Church was our next stop. This church located in Gore's Landing ON. The original Anglican church was erected 1847. It stood for fifty years before deterioration lead the need for a new church. In 1908 the first cornerstone was laid by the Rt. Rev. W.D. Reeve, Assistant Bishop of Toronto. On July 15, 1909 the new church opened. This quaint church is very beautiful. Designer/Artist Gerald Hayward influenced the stained glass side windows and the buttressed and crenellated tower. The cemetery is the final resting place of Hayward. The southwest corner of the graveyard has an unmarked mass grave for the Cobourg and Peterborough Railroad workers who succumbed to a cholera epidemic in 1854. Port Hope was the final destination for the day. We stopped off at Dorothy's House Museum. The museum takes visitors back to a 1869 Workman's house. Through the hard work of volunteers, the house has been able to preserve the Victorian architecture, furniture, artifacts and farm tools. It was a true treat to see all the materials of that period. This has been a very informative and interesting. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Melissa Richardson
Contributor and Photograher




Carousel in Roseneath Ontario



St George Church Gore's Landing Ontario