Uplands Cultural and Heritage Centre is looking to gain status as municipal heritage site, increasing its historical profile in the community.
The borough of Lennoxville has hired an urbanist to carry out a study on the property, which includes Uplands Museum and its adjacent red barn.
In the coming months, urbanist Hélène Laperrière will prepare a report for the city to determine if the site meets the criteria to be awarded the status, said Lennoxville borough chair Doug MacAulay.
“We’re working with Uplands on this because they’d like to do some work on the red barn,” MacAulay said. “If we can get approval, (the site) will be open be more funding.”
A municipal heritage status means the site has access to different types of funding available through Quebec’s ministère de la culture, explained Judith Gagnon at the borough of Lennoxville. The only other site in the city of Sherbrooke with a similar heritage status is the now-restored Marché de la Gare public market in downtown Sherbrooke.
Nancy Robert, director at Uplands, said the status would help increase the recognition of the site’s heritage value as well as provide opportunities for much-needed renovation and restoration projects.
“It’s very exciting,” Robert said. “We would love to winterize the red barn and make it accessible to the public so we have more exhibition space to work with.”
The red barn is currently used for workshops and children’s camp activities, which are limited to the summertime.
The Uplands Museum, once a family home, was built in 1862. The Lennoxville-Ascot Historical and Museum Society purchased the property from the Speid family in 1987, with the help of the town of Lennoxville.
After extensive renovation, the property was opened to the public in 1988. The restored barn became an active part of the facility in 1990.
“It’s a great building,” said Robert, adding the centre might as well better utilize it. “We’re running out of space.”

By Sarah Rogers
Sherbrooke

2009-06-25