The good and bad news. The bad news is that the building has been neglected and is certainly in need of repair. The hall has also been the target of vandalism.

The good news is that, on present inspection, it's not as bad as it looks.  Most of the foundation is sound, the ceiling shows no sign of leakage and the floor seems to be sound as well.  In the near future the hall will be inspected again and I will present the update of its condition.  One thing is that it needs a good cleaning and this will allow us to better assess the repairs that have to be made.  Most certainly the front porch will have to be removed and repairs will have to be made to the foundation at the west end of the building.

The upkeep of the building. How do we manage the building once it is salvaged?  Hopefully we will be visited by people from outside our area and we can charge admission; functions can be held to generate funds; building can be rented by groups at a cost; and, of course, donations will be gladly accepted.  There are always student help made available by government agencies as is the custom with historic sites, museums and other such institutions.

I would like to see the population of Wakeham become actively involved in preserving the Hall!  If you are interested in salvaging the building and the cultural heritage it represents, please become a Friend of Wakeham Hall.  We still have the time - we just need to show an interest and want to make the effort.  It is not too late!  The mayor is looking forward to see if the English population is interested in their heritage and history, such as has been demonstrated by other segments of our population (the Native groups, The Acadians, Channel Islanders, Loyalists, the Irish Community in Douglastown ). We have the talent and resources to make this dream a reality.

If you would like to be a Friend of Wakeham Hall please contact Jim Caputo at 418-368-5696 or 613-678-3471 (gaspecoast@sympatico.ca).

Today (December 3rd) - I have been informed that the Wakeham Hall is no more. It has been demolished to make way for a river-side park for kayaks and other types of recreational boats.  Thank you to all those who supported our efforts. We still have our memories but not a place to commemorate the accomplishments of the early settlers of Wakeham. More to come
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