The Town of Saugeen Shores is considering designating a historic local property as a heritage site.
The property is located at 117 Huron Street South in Southampton and was built in 1897 by William and Eliza Knowles. Located in what is now known as the Knowles Block in Southampton, the home has retained its original two-storey rectangular form, hip roof, symmetrical arrangement, and placement of its front door and windows on the Georgian-style façade.
The Knowles family are historically significant in the town, recognized as the founders and early developers of Southampton’s tourism industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The home is situated immediately adjacent to the original site of the Knowles-built Park Hotel built in 1888 and demolished in 1991 and is the largest of the seven Knowles family homes that still stand today.
Saugeen Shores Mayor Luke Charbonneau says council and staff feel the property should be celebrated as a local heritage site.
"The Knowles family and their residence is really iconic in terms of its importance to the tourism industry which was one of and still is one of the major industries here, and so they contributed an awful lot to the economy of our area," Charbonneau stated. "It's important to remember that history, and to pay homage to it and to carry it into the future, at least the most significant pieces of it, so that you stay connected to your roots. These are small towns, rural towns, and those families that built these towns, those are important figures."
There is a period for public comment underway right now, and Charbonneau expects that the designation could be made official by late summer or early fall barring any objections.
The 117 Huron Street South property served in later years as living quarters for employees working at the Knowles-developed summer resort which included not only a hotel, but eleven rental cottages, and a dance pavilion. Charbonneau says keeping the Knowles family legacy alive will serve as a positive symbol for the community.
"Preserving their residences or things that they built, it helps us to stay in touch with that history. It helps us to remember why these communities are what they are and why they're so great," added Charbonneau.
More on the potential designation can be seen here: https://www.saugeenshores.ca/en/news/notice-of-intention-to-designate-a-heritage-property.aspx.
