After fourteen months of restoration, the New Town Old School in Lunenburg is ready to welcome the public.
Built in 1883, the building originally served as a one-room schoolhouse until students moved to the Lunenburg Academy in 1939. Since then, it has been used for various purposes, with the Town of Lunenburg retaining ownership. In 2022, the town listed it for sale as part of a plan to sell some municipal properties.
When filmmaker Edward Peill first saw the schoolhouse, he knew it was a perfect restoration project. “I knew instantly it was perfect,” Peill said. “Older buildings are far better, with better materials, and they have a story and heritage worth saving.” Peill, who has produced award-winning documentaries and series through his company Tell Tale Productions, has a passion for breathing new life into heritage properties.
The beams which run the height of the building were made from old parts of the Bluenose II and Picton Castle. Photo: Evan Taylor.
Much of the initial restoration work at New Town Old School involved cleaning and dealing with materials in poor condition. Peill aims to reuse as much original material as possible or, if needed, sources other heritage materials locally. “The beams you’ll see on the counters actually come from the Bluenose II and the Picton Castle,” Peill explained. “The original main gaff from the Bluenose II had been in an old boat shed for decades. I reached out to the province, shared my plan, and they gave it to us.” The beams from the Picton Castle bring their own history, having circumnavigated the globe multiple times, making them some of the most well-traveled beams around.
During early restoration work, crews discovered artifacts from past eras, some of which are now displayed in the main entrance. “One thing we found was an old boot,” Peill said. “Apparently, it was a tradition to place a boot in walls to ward off spirits—the idea being that any evil spirit would go into the sole of the boot, not someone’s soul.”
A display case at the main entrance shows some of the relics found during the restoration work, including an old boot, a baseball, an inkwell and some slate boards. Photo: Evan Taylor.
The entrance display case holds relics from the restoration, including the boot, a baseball, an inkwell, and slate boards.
One of Peill’s favourite spaces in the renovated building is a small room in an upstairs unit. Technically not a bedroom, the room makes use of old ceiling space and features skylights on both sides. The north-facing window offers a view of the Lunenburg Academy, while the south-facing window looks out to the Bluenose Academy. Peill finds it special because you can see all the schools, past and present, that have operated in town from one spot.
Sharing the Journey with the Community
Throughout the restoration, Peill welcomed visits from former students and people who had worked in the building. “We couldn’t show them around while it was an active construction site, but now that it’s ready, I want everyone with a connection to the building to have a chance to see it,” Peill said.
Tell Tale Productions documented the restoration process, and a TV-length documentary has been picked up by the Discovery network. Its release will be celebrated with a premiere screening at the Lunenburg Opera House on Sunday, November 17, at 8:00 p.m. Before the screening, the building will host an open house from noon to 5:00 p.m.
Full event details are available online.
