HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-08-209 - Use of Schoerg Barn Timbers in the Regional History Museum4-n L
T .. _ R REPORT
Development& L
Technical Services
Report To: Finance & Corporate Services Committee
Date of Meeting: January 19, 2009
Submitted By: Jeff Willmer, Acting MG, Development & Technical Services
Pauline Houston, GM, Community Services
Troy Speck, GM, Corporate Services
Prepared By: Leon Bensason, Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning
Cheryl York, Arts and Culture Coordinator
Christine Tarling, Manager, Corporate Records Management
and Archive Services
Doug Hergott, Manager of Facilties Management
Ward(s) Involved: Ward 3
Date of Report: December 23, 2008
Report No.: DTS 08-209
Subject: USE OF SCHOERG BARN TIMBERS IN THE
REGIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM
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1. That the Mayor and Clerk be authorized to enter into an agreement with the Regional
Municipality of Waterloo, satisfactory to the City Solicitor, to permit use of the Schoerg
barn timbers as cladding on the walls of the main entry corridor and lobby space of the
Regional History Museum, in accordance with the plan and conceptual drawings
attached as Appendix 'B' to Report DTS 08-209.
2. That the City's Manager of Facilities Management be involved in the selection of specific
timbers appropriate and suitable for use in the Regional History Museum.
3. That the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, in consultation with the City of Kitchener,
develop and install interpretive signage and information regarding the cultural heritage
significance of the Schoerg barn timbers, at the Regional History Museum installation
location.
4. That City staff investigate whether the City's Consolidated Maintenance Facility can play
a role in providing a home for the storage or a setting for the use of some of the
remaining Schoerg barn timbers.
On December 11, 2004 the owner of the former Schoerg family farmstead located at 381
Pioneer Tower Road, hired Kieswetters Demolition Inc. to disassemble the historic bank barn
located on the property and built circa 1830 by David Sherk. David Sherk was the son of Joseph
Schoerg, who together with Samuel Betzner were the first Pennsylvania Mennonite pioneers to
settle in what would become Waterloo County. The barn had served as an excellent example of
a bank barn built in the Pennsylvania Mennonite style and tradition.
In 2005, City Council opted to purchase the salvaged Schoerg barn timbers from Kieswetters
Demolition, with a view to use the timbers in a way that would interpret and respect their cultural
heritage value and integrity. The salvaged timbers were originally used in building the interior
structural frame of the bank barn, and include posts and beams of various lengths, some 40 feet
long. Since the acquisition from Kieswetters, the timbers have remained in City storage.
One project identified as a possible candidate where use of the historic timbers would be
warranted is the Clarica Scenic Lookout. The Clarica Lookout is to be developed on the site of
the historic foundation of the former Betzner farmstead located on Joseph Schoerg Crescent, on
what is now City land adjacent the former Schoerg farmstead and Pioneer Memorial Tower.
Though the barn superstructure was demolished, the original c.1830 barn foundation remains,
and is to be conserved and used in developing a scenic lookout overlooking the Grand River
valley. Early design concepts envisioned introducing a vertical feature on top of the stone
foundation, which would provide a visual suggestion of a barn structure, while maintaining open
views from the historic ridge to the Grand River valley below.
In September 2008, City staff was approached by the Walter Fedy Partnership on behalf of the
Regional Municipality of Waterloo, expressing interest in sourcing local salvaged materials of
heritage significance for use in building the new Regional History Museum. Regional staff and
consultants were provided a tour of salvaged materials in City storage, and have expressed
significant interest in using some of the Schoerg barn timbers in the construction of the new
Regional History Museum.
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In 2008, the City hired Stantec Consulting Inc. to provide engineering, architectural and design
services for the Clarica Scenic Lookout project. Stantec has examined the feasibility of using the
Schoerg barn timbers in the construction of the vertical feature for the scenic lookout, and
recently concluded that the Schoerg barn timbers are not suitable for use where they may be
exposed to the elements (inclement weather). The timbers, which are over 175 years old, were
never exposed to the exterior and had always served as interior structural members. According
to the consulting engineers, exposing the historic timbers to exterior elements could lead to their
rapid deterioration (within 5 years), eventual structural instability, and the potential permanent
loss of a significant heritage attribute.
With the conclusion that the Schoerg Barn timbers are not suitable for use in the construction of
the Clarica Scenic Lookout, City staff are focussing on the request from the Region to use some
of the historic Schoerg barn timbers in the design and construction of the new Regional History
Museum. Moriyama and Teshima Architects originally expressed an interest in acquiring eight
20 foot Schoerg barn timbers to be used as structural columns in the entry corridor of the
Regional History Museum. The seven spaces created between the eight wood columns would
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symbolically represent the seven area municipalities and townships within the Region of
Waterloo. See Appendix 'A' attached to this report for a plan and conceptual drawing.
More recently and upon further structural consideration, the Region's consulting architects have
advised that the Schoerg barn timbers cannot be used structurally. As a result, they have
proposed using the barn timbers as interior cladding on two feature walls of the main entry
corridor and lobby space of the museum. The wood cladding in these spaces is meant to be
evocative of some of the Region's early barns and rural roots. To use the wood in this way
would involve re-sawing the beams to make them into thinner cladding boards. It is estimated
that the Region would require slightly less than half the total number of timbers in City storage to
achieve this alternative. See Appendix 'B'for a plan and conceptual drawings.
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In October 2005, a Corporate Artifacts Working Group was struck to identify issues relating to
various historical artifacts possessed by the City. The working group is represented by the
following City staff: Christine Tarling, Manager, Corporate Records Management & Archive
Services (Chair); Doug Hergott, Manager of Facilities Management; Cheryl York, Arts and
Culture Coordinator; and Leon Bensason, Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning. Members of
the Corporate Artifacts Working Group were consulted with regard to the Region's request.
Staff provide the following comments with regard to two possible alternatives:
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Current storage conditions in the City's Elmsdale yard are not conducive to long term
storage or material conservation of historic wood timbers. Continued storage under
unfavourable conditions may lead to the deterioration of the timbers and fewer options
for re-use in the future. With the recent conclusion that the timbers are not suitable for
use in the design of the Clarica Scenic Lookout, staff are of the opinion that some priority
should be given to finding a suitable home and/or use for the barn timbers. This could
include consideration of how the timbers can be more appropriately stored and/or used
in the design and construction of a municipal facility, such as the new consolidated
maintenance facility.
2. Permit the Region to Use the Schoerg Barn Timbers as cladding on the walls of the
Entry and Lobby of the Regional History Museum.
Members of the Corporate Artifacts Working group expressed concern with the Region's
proposal to use the historic Schoerg barn timbers in a non-structural way as wall
cladding. Cutting and milling the timbers into small strips would maintain little historic
integrity. However, staff are also appreciative that there are no alternative plans in place
to use the historic materials, and that current storage conditions do not favour long term
conservation of the timbers. As a result, and in light of the conclusion by the Region's
consulting architects that the timbers cannot be used structurally, staff are of the opinion
that the City should give consideration to the Region's proposal.
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FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Regional Municipality of Waterloo will bear all costs associated with the Region's request to
use some of the Schoerg barn timbers as wall cladding in the Regional History Museum.
However, some cost to the City may be associated with the proposal to consider what role the
new consolidated maintenance facility could play in establishing a more suitable home for the
storage or venue for the display of the remaining historic barn timbers.
The Schoerg barn timbers are considered to be artifacts of cultural heritage value and
significance. The City does not have any immediate plans for use of the timbers and current
storage conditions are not conducive to their long term conservation. Staff are of the opinion
that the City should give consideration to the unique opportunity presented by the Region's
proposal to use some of the Schoerg barn timbers in the design of the Regional History
Museum. Though the timbers would not be used in a way that would be sympathetic to their
structural origin and function, they would be used in a highly prominent location within the
museum. Further, interpretive signage and information would be located near or on the walls to
explain to visitors where the material came from and why they are of cultural value and
significance.
As the Region would require approximately half the current inventory of Schoerg barn timbers in
storage; the City may still have an opportunity to use some of the remaining timbers in some
capacity at some point in the future. This could include using the timbers in the design and
construction of a municipal facility. In the interim, consideration should be given to proper
storage of the timbers to reduce the rate of deterioration. Staff would suggest some
consideration should be given to whether the design and construction of the City's consolidated
maintenance facility could provide a venue for the storage and/or display of the historic barn
timbers.
Leon Bensason
Coordinator, Cultural Heritage Planning
Cheryl York
Arts and Culture Coordinator
0
Christine Tarling
Manager, Corporate
& Archive Services
Doug Hergott
Manager, Facilities Managemen!
Jeff Willmer
R Me
Acting GM, Development & Technical Services GM, Community Services
Troy Speck
GM, Corporate Services
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Appendix `A': Conceptual plan and drawings showing the Schoerg barn timbers being used as
structural columns in the main entry corridor of the Regional History Museum.
Appendix'B': Conceptual plan and drawings showing the Schoerg barn timbers being used as
wall cladding in the main entry corridor and lobby of the Regional History
Museum.
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