Work has begun on the restoration of the deteriorating cupola on the roof of the Woodstock Museum.
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While the wooden roof of the downtown landmark was replaced in 2018, the cupola has remained untouched since the original restoration — an extensive project that began in 1980 and ended in 2000 — was completed.
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“There is rotten wood on the outside of the cupola and some dry rot inside, which is to be expected after more than two decades,” museum curator Karen Houston said. “Maintaining and preserving a heritage building is truly an ongoing process.
The restoration of the cupola — the small dome, similar in appearance to an overturned cup, crowning the museum’s roof — will include waterproofing, interior structural work and the refinishing or replacement of exterior features, including the finial, dome tiles and columns.
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“The cupola is one of the defining characteristics of the Old Town Hall,” Houston said in a release. “Many 19th-century municipal buildings in Ontario adapted British architectural trends. The Italianate Revival style was popular at the time and included classical elements like the domed roof-top structure.”
The museum building was constructed in 1853, serving as Woodstock’s town hall, fire station, police lockup, council chambers, public assembly hall and municipal offices for more than a century. The building was officially designated as a national historic site in 1955.
Today, the building and museum are owned and operated by the City of Woodstock.
The Woodstock Museum will remain open to the public during the restoration work, which is expected to be completed some time this summer.
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