The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum marked a major moment in the preservation of local heritage with today’s announcement that they have purchased the historic home of museum founder Janet Carnochan, located right next door.
“The house holds historical significance as the former residence of the founder of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, a distinguished educator, historian and community leader,” said museum managing director and curator Sarah Kaufman at a press conference. “Her legacy is deeply interwoven with the rich tapestry of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s history.”
Carnochan originally purchased the house at 25 Castlereagh Street from her brother, Kaufman explained. Immediately, she severed it to provide land to build NOTL’s Memorial Hall, the first museum built in Ontario in 1907.
“In addition to serving as a vital piece of local history,” Kaufman added, “this building will also yield substantial benefits for the museum’s ongoing renovation and expansion plans.”
Last fall the NOTL Museum launched its $5 million Building History - Strengthening Community expansion and renovation campaign headed by campaign chair Sean Simpson. Detailed drawings and renderings of the plans have been available on the NOTL Museum’s website since then.
Those plans did not include the acquisition of the Carnochan house, however.
“It was always a possibility, but it certainly wasn’t part of the plan,” Simpson told The Local following the event. “Sarah and her team could never really know when or if it might become a possibility. When it did become a possibility, the board took a long look at this and it’s now a reality.”
Board chair Mona Babin said “When this came up it was like the sun started shining after seven years of COVID and other challenges. We knew this was what we wanted. We’ve been working on this deal since February. Today, when that cover came down off the board in front of the house, it was hard to keep a dry eye. This is going to change everything for the better.”
Babin explained that the white house will allow the museum to more effectively and fully tell Carnochan’s story right in the home where she lived. She added that though they know the research room and reference library will be moving into the new acquisition, other details are still being decided.
Kaufman gave much credit to all donors for making the purchase possible, but centred out in particular major donors Vaughn and Lauren Goettler and Geoffrey and Lorraine Joyner.
The Joyners’ donation was earmarked for the research room and reference library that was slated to be in the main building just inside the front entrance. It was to have carried the Joyners’ names.
“Sarah came to us and told us about this property coming up on the market,” Geoffrey told The Local. “She asked us if we would consider having our donation transferred over to the house, we said yes immediately. The research library is now going over there, and will still carry our names.”
Lauren Goettler said Kaufman’s enthusiasm about the potential purchase was contagious.
“She called, said they just had to get that house,” she remembered. “So we made another donation, a second one, without any hesitation. Now it’s all back together again. If Janet Carnochan is looking down, just think of it, her house is now part of the museum she started.”
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa thanked Kaufman and the board for helping the community move forward in heritage and storytelling.
“Our council is very supportive of the heritage attributes and the importance of telling the history of our town,” said Zalepa. “That’s shown in council’s willingness to find a solution in this real estate transaction. I’m proud that council took this on.”
Niagara-on-the-Lake Realty helped the museum broker the deal with the homeowners, a couple from Toronto who used it as a weekend home. The asking price was $1.6 million and the museum closed the transaction at $1.425 million.
“They had given us a heads-up that they were going to list it,” said Kaufman. “We jumped on it right away. We’re a non-profit organization, so it takes a long time before we can make a deal like this. We finally closed the deal on June 14.”
As for the capital campaign, Simpson expects the purchase of the Carnochan house will actually lower the total capital needs.
“The work will soon begin with the architects to look at the new space that we now have available and what was previously planned,” he explained. “That’s where we have to recast the figures. It’s a net positive overall, but we still have a long way to go.”
Both Simpson and Kaufman encouraged the public to join in celebrating what Kaufman called a “momentous occasion,” and invited donors to continue to contribute to the capital campaign.
“Without the donors, especially the Goettlers and the Joyners, this wouldn’t have been possible,’ said a very pleased Kaufman. “This wouldn’t have been possible at all ten years ago.”
