Demolition begins at new County of Brant library site

Demolition work at the Bawcutt Centre, Paris’s original town hall, began on Monday.

In preparation for construction of the County of Brant Public Library’s new main branch, crews will remove non-heritage portions of the existing structure, including the 1964 addition that once housed the Mary Maxim company.

Demolition of the addition will expose parts of the Old Town Hall that haven’t been seen for decades, said Kelly Bernstein, library CEO.

“Our primary focus is to preserve and stabilize the original 1854 heritage building, moving us closer to restoring the original building in a safe and historically responsible way.”

Heritage stabilization includes structural reinforcement, removing loose masonry, tarping the bell tower and boarding up windows. Salvageable heritage materials, such as bricks, will be stored for re-use during restoration.

The site is also home to chimney swifts, a species of bird protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Bernstein said care has been taken to ensure demolition won’t impact the swifts.

“The chimney they use for nesting is in good condition and will not be touched at this time.”

For archival purposes, the current building has been completely photo documented.

In June, County of Brant council approved an architectural design concept to add 20,000 square feet and reinvent the building as the County of Brant Public Library’s new main branch.

A request for tenders is expected to be released in late fall. Once construction is underway, it was expected to last about 24 months.

Community efforts to save, preserve and repurpose the Old Town Hall began in the 1980s. Council purchased the building in 2015 with the support of a $1 million donation from Skystone Media CEO Linda Schuyler. The building was named in honor of Schuyler’s father, Jack Bawcutt, a former mayor of the Town of Paris.

In October 2020 the Bawcutt Center received federal recognition as a National Historic Site. It is the oldest example of a Gothic Revival-style civic building in Canada.

On June 27, council approved architectural designs for the main branch library. The 27,800-square-foot facility will include a MakerSpace lab, café and kitchen, while the historic opera hall will be available for public performances.

An outdoor program area and reading garden are also part of the plan.

The County of Brant Public Library serves the County of Brant, with five branches in Burford, Glen Morris, Paris, Scotland-Oakland and St. George and a 24/7 book-lending kiosk in Onondaga.