By: Sylene Argent, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Essex Free Press

The Town of Essex will provide Heritage Colchester – which is leasing the 1881 Colchester Schoolhouse from the municipality and is working to restore it – with $12,100 from the Council Contingency Fund.

This is a contribution matching what the heritage group is putting towards engineering and professional design work currently underway for improvements to the historical structure.

The Town had $12,500 left in its Council Contingency Fund, and was able to move forward with this.

At the September 8 meeting of Essex Council, Councillor Jason Matyi put this forward as a Notice of motion. It was supported at the September 21 meeting.

As part of his motion, administration will also prepare a Report to Council considering a process where the Town of Essex would assume responsibility for future engineering, architectural, and other professional costs deemed by the Town to be reasonably required for approved capital improvements to the Colchester Schoolhouse. That way, Heritage Colchester can focus its fundraising and available funding on the physical improvements and preservation of the property.

He suggested that the report identify the current division of responsibility for engineering, professional

services, maintenance and capital improvements at other Town-owned heritage facilities, including the Essex Railway Station, to help ensure a fair and consistent approach to Town-owned heritage assets.

Matyi said he would also like to have a better understanding of the Heritage assets the Town owns, and would like to take a look at how to consider equally providing funding to all of Essex’s heritage sites.

Matyi said he put this motion forward because Heritage Colchester had raised enough funds and contacted an architect to redo some of the design work for the Colchester Schoolhouse, but the Town needed to be part of those conversations. It occurred to him that if the Town is going to be part of the conversation, as it is a Town-owned asset, the cost should be split somehow. He doesn’t believe it should be solely on Heritage Colchester to pay for those costs.

In 2021, Essex Council adopted a Bylaw to designate the 1881 Colchester Schoolhouse, located at 195 Bagot Street, as being of cultural heritage value or interest, under the provisions of the Ontario Heritage Act.

Earlier that year, “Heritage Colchester” was formed to preserve the building when an interest in developing the historic site into short-term accommodation units was made public.

The Town of Essex acquired the property in 2008. Essex Council “Listed” the Colchester Schoolhouse as having historical value in 2016.