Sharon Temple, an area landmark, getting needed 'face lift'

Funding of $118,000 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will help to pay for critical conservation work at the nearly 200-year-old architectural jewel

Barrietoday.com
February 21, 2019

The Sharon Temple is getting a ‘face lift’.

If you visited the Sharon Temple National Historic Site and Museum in 2018, and noticed the architectural jewel at the centre of the site was looking a little worse for wear, you weren’t the only one.

The Sharon Temple Museum Society Board of Directors identified the painting of the interior and exterior of the Sharon Temple as a critical move toward preventing degradation of the almost 200-year-old wooden building.

“The paint actually protects the wood underneath,” states Elizabeth Evans, facilities and collections manager for the museum. “It stops moisture from penetrating the wood and it helps protect it from ultraviolet light”.

Built by the Children of Peace, the temple was completed in 1832 using timber from two local farms. It was a place where members of the sect of former Quakers gathered monthly to collect money for charity.

The funds raised in the community supported charitable efforts like opening the first homeless shelter in Upper Canada, the first credit union, and operating the Farmers Storehouse. They also helped local residents with micro loans to purchase land and start or expand businesses.

“It was important that we hired local people to help us do this important work,” Executive Director, Lori Woodyatt explains. “When we started looking at contracting someone, we came across Harbor Painting Company in Mount Albert, gave Danny a call and he was able to come out immediately to provide a quote”.

The Ontario Trillum Foundation is providing $118,000 for the interior and exterior of the Sharon Temple to be painted, this includes doing some remediation of the original woodwork on the window sills and the iconic pillars that ring the interior of the Temple.

The funding will officially be announced on Friday, Feb. 22 at 11 a.m. by York-Simcoe MPP Caroline Mulroney, who will be joined by Town of East Gwillimbury Mayor Virginia Hackson, members of Council, staff of the Sharon Temple and Harbor Painting Company.