Stone by Stone: Conservation Project Information

Goat hair, ‘war brushes’ and ‘devil floats’: A glimpse into the art of traditional plastering

One of the final stages in the conservation of Province House is plastering the walls and ceilings. Dennis Kwan, conservation architect and Built Heritage Advisor for Parks Canada explains. “As beautiful as the inner island sandstone is, it was not considered an interior wall finish that was appropriate to this kind of building at its level of grandeur and refinement at the time. So, what was a traditional interior wall finish? That’s where lath and plaster comes in.”

A rare skillset 

 Kieran Reid, Lead Traditional Plasterer and Foreman with Heritage Grade

Traditional plastering involves a specialized and increasingly rare skillset, as drywall has generally replaced plaster as an interior finish for walls and ceilings . In fact, the firm brought in to handle the plastering, Heritage Grade, has hired a crew of ten traditional plasterers from around the globe-including Ukraine, Botswana, Scotland, Ontario, and PEI.

Kieran Reid, the Lead Traditional Plasterer on the Province House project, completed his 4-year apprenticeship in Scotland, then worked at plastering in New Zealand, and has been in Canada since 2016. To his knowledge, this is the largest traditional plastering project in Canada. As well as employment opportunities, a large project like this provides training opportunities especially for apprentices on the team. This project is bolstering these rare skillsets within the Canadian workforce. 

The basic process

Reid explains the basic process for plastering the walls and ceilings. First, a metal lath or stiff mesh is attached to the studs. Traditionally, wooden lath would have been used, but the metal lath has been used to add strength and longevity.

The first coat of plaster – called the ‘scratch coat’— is quite rough. It is composed of sand and lime with goat hair mixed in. Traditionally, horse-hair was used, but goat-hair is more available commercially now. This layer goes directly onto the lath and is left to cure naturally for 5 to 7 days, as there are no polymers or curing agents added. As the plaster cures, humidity and temperature need to be carefully controlled. 

The second coat – called the ‘brown coat’ — levels and fills most of the dips and bumps and you begin to see the final shape of the wall or ceiling. Lime and sand are mixed for this coat; many tonnes of Island sand are being incorporated into the walls and ceilings of Province House. Before curing the plaster, workers run a wooden ‘float’ over the surface to smooth it, and then a ‘devil float’ is used to create swirls which provide a ‘key’ — a roughened surface for the third (and final) coat to adhere to — preventing delamination. 

After another curing period of 5 to 7 days, the ‘finish coat’ is applied. It takes two days to apply the lime and gypsum and polish it with a trowel and ‘war brush’. This polishing not only makes it visually smooth but also compacts and strengthens the plaster. The finish coat cures for 5 to 7 days and then the ceiling is ready for the ‘enrichments’ or decorative elements – cornices and medallions, fleur-de-lis and scrolls — to be installed (see “Decorative Elements” in Stone by Stone, Issue 9). This three-coat process results in plaster that is almost 3cm thick on some walls. 

Advantages of traditional plaster: 

 Sam Van Esch, Traditional Plasterer with Heritage Grade

So why use traditional plastering? First, it conserves the heritage value of the building. It recreates a look and feel most similar to the original, from the smooth, cool walls and ceilings to the curved cornices and elaborate medallions.

Sam Van Esch, a plaster worker from Guelph, Ontario, points out some the other advantages of traditional plaster. “The traditional finishes are really breathable,” Van Esch explains. The natural lime and sand mixture and the absence of a vapour barrier allows moisture and air to pass through, which is beneficial for the longevity of both the exterior stonework and interior layers. The breathability is healthier for the building and the air quality is healthier for people inside the building.

Then there’s simply the aesthetics. “ I find plaster to be more beautiful,” Van Esch says enthusiastically. “I’m drawn to it because — for most of my life — I’ve really enjoyed smooth, fine surfaces… I’m very passionate about it.” 

 

Personal touches:

 Emma Johansson, graduate of Holland College Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program, who turned her talents toward plastering and now works with Heritage Grade

Emma Johansson — a woodworker-turned-plasterer from Ontario — enjoys the fluidity and creativity of the medium. “I find it really artistic, it’s very fluid material that we get to work with, and everybody can have their own creative spin…”

Reid notes, “At different times of the day there’s going to be a lot of light that’s going to expose the trowel work, and you can see different people’s trowel marks and how they’ve put their personal touch to the ceiling…it sounds not quite perfect, but it’s not supposed to be perfect. It tells a story.”

To repair or recreate? The fine balance of heritage conservation:

One of the challenges of conserving a heritage building is deciding what is in good enough condition to repair and what needs to be recreated using traditional methods.

For instance, on some walls the traditional wooden lath and plaster was in good enough condition to leave in place, simply channeling out and repairing damaged areas. However, most walls had to be completely redone ‘from scratch.’

The medallions provide another example of the choices inherent in conservation projects. One medallion in the Legislative Chamber, which had lost much of its detail under layers of paint, will be restored to look as it would have when it was fresh and new in the 1800s – a ‘showpiece’ as Reid called it. This medallion has around 90 leaves as well as other elements, created separately by various artisans in the 1800s, and each has been carefully removed, conserved or recast, and reattached. The medallions in the Library were a simpler design, and therefore could be recast as a single piece. By contrast, other medallions have been conserved essentially ‘as is,’ showing some signs of the wear that happens naturally over the years.

 A complex and challenging structure to plaster over.

Curved ceiling showing second coat with swirls, which provide grip for the third coat.

Above, left: Original plaster leaf. Above, right: Recreation of this leaf, crafted by Emma Johansson, Holland College Heritage Retrofit Carpentry graduate, who shifted to working on plaster.

Site worker pointing to one of the leaves similar to the one Johansson used above.

A special building, and a complex one:

Several of the plastering crew commented on how special it feels to work on the Province House project.
“Province House is such a big part of our history and it’s such a huge architectural spot in Charlottetown and PEI, and so it’s really cool to say that I’ve worked on such an important building,” says Johansson. Van Esch agrees, “This building has had a lot of history… and will continue to have a lot of history, so it’s cool to be part of preserving a space that is significant, and that people will be able to continue to enjoy for many, many years. It’s been pretty special.”

Reid talks about the iconic Confederation Chamber, “It’s by far the most difficult room in the building to fix up… It’s my favourite room in the whole building, because it is a bit of a challenge…” Besides conserving the three large medallions and other ornamental elements in that room, there are additional complexities like recreating the curved ceiling and tying into the sections of original plaster. The Confederation Chamber also interests Van Esch the most. “There’s a lot of detail and a lot of thinking that have gone into it… we’re starting to see how all that work and thinking and planning is starting to pay off. And in the end, it’s going to be such an extraordinary room to be able to see.”

As artisans, the team enjoys the unique challenges and surprises this project presents. Van Esch notes, “Just the nature of working in an old building…You find little things that you have to stop what you’re doing and step back and say, ‘Ok, how do we figure this out? How do we go forward?’” As Reid puts it, “There’s a lot of late-night thinking that goes into this process to make sure that everything’s done right.” Johansson observes, “It keeps you on your toes. It’s always good to have to problem-solve.” This skilled team’s ability to adapt, innovate, and collaborate ensures that each obstacle becomes an opportunity to honour Province House’s history and to craft a legacy of enduring quality.

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Finishing touches: The complexities of conserving trim

As the Province House conservation project enters the ‘homestretch,’ workers and students are turning their attention to the finishing touches. Like every stage in the conservation of this historic building, this involves much more than meets the eye.

The first step in this complex process was dismantling some of the trim, and protecting elements that would remain onsite, such as stairwells and crown molding. In 2018, graduates of the Holland College Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program were hired to focus on this work. It took about a year to complete, and required – as site manager Brian Willis recalls – two tractor-trail¬er loads of plywood and two tractor-trailer loads of bubble-wrap in giant 4-foot wide rolls.

During a recent visit to Province House, we found Gary Loo, a fine woodworker from Wheatley River, PEI, who works with Heritage Grade at Province House as a heritage carpenter, busy reinstalling window trim. He explains how the trim needs to be refitted as the wooden framing and metal studs are slightly different dimensions than the originals were. These studs separate the stone from the wood, a practice which will increase the longevity of the structure going forward. Any time that stone touches wood directly, there is a probability of moisture collecting on the cold stone and creating rot in the wood, so the metal studs solve that issue. Loo and a co-worker fit the frame in place temporarily; other pieces will need to be added before the final fitting and securing.

 

Dismantling the window trim itself was an immense and complex task, due to the three-foot to five-foot thick exterior walls. Josh Silver, Learning Manager at the Holland College Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program recalls, “Due to the size, complexity and beauty of the trim-work, some of those windows have hundreds of pieces. Hundreds, literally. So, we needed to disassemble very carefully, without breaking any¬thing, and then label and catalogue everything very carefully, because another person would be putting it back together. Then each ‘window complement’ had to be crated and boxed.”

Conserving windows, doors, floors, and trim through this multi-step process has been a huge learning opportunity for students. Various student cohorts, as well as program graduates hired onto the project, have contributed to the Province House conservation project. Silver explains that students begin by learn-ing about architectural styles, appropriate techniques and materials, and heritage building guidelines before working on real projects like Province House. “It’s a beautiful combination of theoretical and practical experience that absolutely have to be combined,” says Silver.

Coulton Coles, a student in the Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program, is enthusiastic. “When it comes to doing trim on windows and doors there’s a lot of nuance to it, especially different styles. There’s a lot of experience you can get from just one window or one door…it’s almost invaluable, the number of lessons you’ll learn from just doing one thing around here.”

Melinda Burke, Holland College Heritage Retrofit Carpentry student, is carrying on a family tradition of craftsmanship

Melinda Burke, who was drawn to the Heritage Ret¬rofit Carpentry Program by her love of heritage build-ings as well as her desire to continue a family tradition of craftsmanship, agrees. “Just the skill level of these craftspeople…and you get to break it apart and strip it down and see, you know, the strokes of someone’s drawknife from hundreds of years ago. It’s very cool stuff.”

Silver encourages students to approach the work like detectives. Coles shares, “It’s really neat: in some instances, you can see step by step what someone was thinking during the process – how they were building something, and that’s really cool to see. It also does help you when you’re trying to re-do what they did. In one window that I’ve worked on before, they had all their measurements written out next to the window, so we actually got to use that to help us re-do the window.”

The work is challenging and intricate but satisfying, says Coles. “Trying to honour the original state of the piece, especially trying to match with what was done before…There were different materials, there were different building techniques, so trying to match something is difficult. Even if you get 90% close, it feels really good when a piece comes together, and you can step back and not really tell if it’s been re-done. That’s our ideal – make it look as it was.”

 

Working on iconic buildings is meaningful. “Having your name on something that people will visit, and they’ll walk by, or they’ll take pictures, or be able to admire the work for even just a second – it means a lot to me to be able to say that I’ve put my work into a piece like that,” says Coles.

Burke echoes this, adding a personal element. “It’s in¬teresting to have been a part of something larger than yourself. It’s really rewarding — you can walk by and say, ‘Look, I made that’.’’ She adds, “I don’t want these techniques and these really specific skills as a crafts¬person to be lost. My grandfather was a cooper and a million other things – a jack-of-all-trades renaissance man. I don’t want to see that being lost in my family, so I want to learn these skills and carry that forward.”

The decorative elements of Province House

The decorative elements of Province House

A group of skilled tradespeople from Heritage Grade are using a centuries-old technique to recreate the decorative plaster at Province House National Historic Site.  

The plaster work is part of Phase 3 of the Province House conservation project, which focuses on preserving the heritage character-defining elements while bringing the building into the 21st century. 

The team is being led by traditional plaster specialist Kieran Reid at a workshop in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

The decorative elements include the cornice (decorative molding located along the top of an interior wall) and medallions (detailed centrepieces around light fixtures on the ceiling). In total, the crew is replacing about 2,000 linear feet of cornice and 18 medallions in the building. 

“We are matching like-for-like,” said Reid. “There are some areas that are going to be left from the 1950s renovation, so we are matching the old and the new and trying to make it all look seamless.”

Reid said the crew is making the moldings off site instead of in situ as this allows them to make the moldings lighter. By making them lighter, they are less likely to crack over time. 

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The process of making a cornice involves creating a profile that matches the original cornice. There are approximately 10 different cornice profiles in the building. Plasterers apply gypsum plaster with trowels to a bench and then use a slipper (a cutout template made of wood and zinc that matches the profile) and run it along the bench by manually pushing it from one end to the other. This process is carried out about 40-50 times, and it becomes harder with each run. The gypsum gives off a lot of heat as it expands and dries. The slipper will jam if the plasterer is not running it fast enough along the bench. 

“It sets really quick, so you have to do it in a space of 20-25 minutes,” said Reid. “It’s quite high pressure and very labour intensive.”

The medallions are made using silicon molds as the deep undercuts and details can’t be run on a bench.

Reid said the most decorative elements are the medallions located in the Confederation Chamber and the Legislative Chamber. 

“There is a lot of detail in the medallions. They are ornate and there is a lot of different elements in the medallions that tell a story.”

Reid said working on a historic building, such as Province House, means none of the walls are plumb, level, and square. As a result, there is a lot of measuring, cutting and fabrication on site to ensure that every piece fits with the natural settlement of the building. 

“This is a pretty old building,” said Reid. “It takes a lot more time and a lot more effort to make it look like it’s always been there.” 

The team will also be on site making the walls. The walls consist of three coats: the first layer consists of lime, sand, and hair, the second layer consists of lime and sand, and the third layer consists of lime plaster. This kind of wall is durable and fire resistant and allows the walls to breathe and prevents moisture buildup from the exterior stone walls. 

Reid said he enjoys the challenges of plaster work in heritage buildings.

“I enjoy it because every day is different,” said Reid. “Every day is a new challenge.”

Restoring the roof at Province House

Restoring the roof at Province House

The new slate roof at Province House National Historic Site combines traditional materials with modern day elements that will ensure less on-going maintenance and repair work are needed going forward.

The roof has been a source of chronic problems for this historic building. Over the years, water infiltration through the roof near the eaves as well as the annual freeze/thaw cycle has been the greatest enemy of the building’s interior and exterior stone walls.

The last time the roof was replaced was in the 1980s and the slate material came from a quarry in Vermont. Since the quarry was unable to supply replacement materials, the Province House conservation project team had to search for similar slate material elsewhere. After a fair bit of research, the team was able to source slate material from North Wales that is original to when it was first constructed between 1843-1847.

“A big part of the renovation project is the roof,” said Mick Davies, DFS Site Consultant at Province House National Historic Site. “The work we’ve done to the roof is going to protect the building for many years to come.”

Robertson Restoration specialize in historical restoration and carried out the roof work at the site. They removed all the old slate and roof coverings back to the rafters. They proceeded to replace the rotten rafters and brought the roofline to the edge of the stonework. The new design involves using copper cladding around the gutters and flashings to help create a seal. Under the slate, there are two layers of plywood with two-inch thick thermal insulation, vapour barriers and a waterproofing membrane.

Mike Copan of Robertson Restoration has 20 years experience in historical restoration and received his training in Scotland and England.  Copan has worked on various historic buildings across the country.

“We are trying to keep it to the timeframe around the same time the building was actually built,” said Copan. “We are using better underlayment.  Back then, they would use tar and tar paper. With today’s technology, the longevity of these products are far superior to what they had available 100 years ago.”

The new design and modern elements ensures water infiltration won’t be an issue moving forward. The roof work was completed in August 2022.

We have done a really good job of sealing the building,” said Davies. “I don’t believe that we will have any problems with the roof, like we have had in the past.”

Holland College students restore and reinstall heritage windows at Province House National Historic Site

Holland College students restore and reinstall heritage windows at Province House National Historic Site

 Students carrying out the intricate reinstallation process of these centuries old windows at Province House National Historic Site.

As part of a partnership with Parks Canada, students in Holland College’s Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program have carefully restored and reinstalled two of the original windows at Province House National Historic Site (NHS). 

Students began this unique conservation work in 2019. The conservation work involved disassembling the windows, including the glass panes, and removing putty and paint in order to examine the condition of the bare wood frames. They had to identify what needed to be replaced, manufacture that piece and install it. They also had to rebuild the window frames by installing glass and putty before painting it with linseed oil. The final step, which was reinstalling the windows, took place May 2-6 at Province House NHS. 

The windows the students conserved are original to when the building was constructed between 1843-1847. There are a total of 101 windows being restored as part of the Province House NHS conservation project. Ninety-nine windows were shipped to a specialised facility in Ontario. The other two windows were conserved by students in the Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program.

The windows are located on the left hand side of the main entrance to the building and will be one of the first sights visitors will experience when the building reopens to the public.

 

Nicolle Gallant, Project Manager for Parks Canada, PEI Field Unit, right, and Heather Harris, student from Holland College’s Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program at Province House National Historic Site where students carried out the intricate reinstallation process of these centuries old windows in May 2022. Harris is one of four graduating students from the Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program hired to assist with reinstalling the remaining windows at the site. 

This rare, hands-on-the-job training experience proved to be an incredible learning opportunity for the students in the Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program, including Heather Harris.

From Kensington, Prince Edward Island, Harris was one of 16 students this year involved with rebuilding and painting the windows frames. She also assisted with the intricate reinstallation process at the site. 

“I got to have my hands on a piece of history,” said Harris. “It’s something I never imagined I’d get to be a part of, so I think it’s really special that Holland College partnered with Parks Canada on this project.”

This project did not come without its challenges. One challenge the students faced was adding weather stripping to the windows. This process was introduced in 1880, shortly after Province House NHS was constructed. Weather stripping improves energy efficiency by reducing air leaks and preventing external moisture from penetrating the windows. 

Harris said the weather stripping added about an eighth of an inch on either side of the windows and, as a result, they did not quite fit back into the frame. 

“We had to do some tinkering here and there to make them fit so that took a little bit of work to do,” she explained. 

Josh Silver, Learning Manager for the Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program, said the original plan was to conserve and reinstall these windows with one cohort of students, but as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 45 students have had the opportunity to help conserve these historic windows.   

“As a teacher, I couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Silver. “This is a job that will be on our graduate’s resume for the rest of their lives.” 

As a result of this invaluable partnership, Harris is one of four graduating students from the Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program that have been hired by Heritage Grade (the subcontractor hired to restore and reinstall the windows) to assist with reinstalling the remaining windows at Province House NHS. 

“Parks Canada is exceptionally proud of this collaboration and the ability to foster a sense of ownership and pride in students who have helped conserve these windows of immeasurable cultural and architectural value,” said Karen Jans, PEI Field Unit Superintendent. 

Parks Canada and Holland College are currently looking at other ways for students in the Heritage Retrofit Carpentry Program to assist in Phase 3 of the conservation project. 

“My students and I have had a wonderful experience,” said Silver. “They’ve opened the doors, they’ve rolled out the red carpet and the learning and education that my students have received over the years is second to none.”

A love for the craft: Robert Morrison is an expert in his field, with 41-years experience in the stonemason industry

A love for the craft: Robert Morrison is an expert in his field, with 41-years experience in the stonemason industry

Robert Morrison enjoys a good challenge when it comes to one of the oldest professions in the world.

Morrison, who is originally from Bristol, England, has 41-years experience as a stonemason, working on various historic buildings across Canada and the United Kingdom. 

Two hundred and fifty hours later, Morrison has completed one of the most technically challenging pieces of his career- the ionic capital for the Province House National Historic Site (NHS) conservation project. 

“That was a particularly complex piece,” said Morrison. “Something like that is once in a lifetime.”

In addition to being a stonemason, Morrison is also a certified CAD draftsperson and is the production manager for RJW Stonemasons, the contractor who is carrying out the masonry work for the Province House NHS conservation project.

The masonry work began in the fall of 2018 and is ongoing. Approximately 2,500 separate stone repairs are being performed- using the same tools when Province House was constructed between 1843-1847- a hammer and chisel. 

A further 1,300 exterior stones are being replaced. Morrison assisted with the drawing, cutting and shaping of the Wallace, Nova Scotia stone being used for the exterior walls of the building. 

Morrison said what made carving the ionic capital so challenging was the sheer magnitude of the stone and the fact that in all of his research, this ionic capital proved to be one of a kind. 

An ionic capital is located on the topmost section of a column in a façade (the porch-like structure at the entrances of classical symmetrical buildings). Province House NHS has eight ionic capitals, and although they appear classical, the size and proportion of the volutes (the scroll-like embellishment on the ionic capital) are significantly different than traditional methods.

Therefore, Morrison had to manually find the centre of each individual curve as it spirals in the volutes, create his own template then carefully measure and carve each section by hand. 

There is no room for error in this delicate work.

“You have to have a clear head,” explained Morrison. “You have to think 3-4 steps ahead so that you are not cutting something off that you may need.”

Robert Morrison carving the volutes (the scroll-like embellishment on the ionic capital stone) at Province House National Historic Site. 

Morrison began his career as a stonemason in 1980. He was immediately fascinated by the trade. He’s worked on the Palace of Westminster (which was constructed in 1016), Buckingham Palace, Balliol College in Oxford as well as several notable cathedrals in England.

Morrison and a team of stonemasons moved to Canada in 1986 as part of a 22-month contract to help rejuvenate the stonemason industry as many of the historic buildings across the country were in desperate need of restoration.

Their first project was the Nova Scotia Legislature (also called Province House). The team apprenticed 12 local employees in an effort to share these traditional stonemasonry techniques.

Morrison went on to make Canada his home and has worked on various historic buildings. His most recent projects include Province House NHS and the Parliamentary Precinct. 

Morrison said the ionic capital for Province House NHS is a real portfolio piece.

“I have a great sense of pride,” said Morrison on completing the ionic capital. “The opportunity to work on this piece is pretty unique.”

As Morrison reflects on his career at a stonemason, he has no regrets.

“I have loved every minute of it,” said Morrison. “If you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.”

What is an ionic capital?

An ionic capital is the beautifully adorned topmost section of a column. Province House NHS has eight columns, located on the north and south façades of the building.  The ionic capital on the south west corner of the south façade was the one needing replacement as part of the Province House National Historic Site conservation project. 

Isaac Smith’s signature, the architect who designed Province House in Charlottetown and supervised the construction of the building between 1843-1847, was found along the underside of the southwest balcony in the Confederation Chamber in spring 2023. 

On April 14, 2023, Heather Harris was working on the floor joists along the underside of the southwest balcony in the Confederation Chamber when she noticed some handwriting.

Harris, a graduate from Holland College’s Heritage Retrofit Carpentry program, has found several signatures over the course of her involvement with the project and was excited to find another one. She couldn’t quite make out what it said, so she called over her colleague, Evan Karl, to help her decipher the cursive script. 

There was a pause. “Does that say Smith?” asked Karl. Harris’ initial reaction was one of disbelief at the possibility of finding the signature of Isaac Smith, the architect who designed Province House and supervised the construction of the building between 1843-1847.

"No way. It can’t be, can it?” responded Harris.

At that moment, Brian Willis, Onsite Project Manager, walked into the room. They called him over to look at it.

When we looked at it, the way it was written in the cursive script, it did look like two words,” said Willis. “It looked like it could have been Mrs. Smith or Mr. I Smith. We thought for a while that Mrs. Smith may have signed it, too."

It is common practice for a builder to leave his signature behind in an obscure location. Until then, Smith’s signature had not been found.

"They sign in places that are not obvious,” said Willis. “This was the very definition of that. There is no chance you would have found this signature unless you were restoring the building."

On November 15, 2023, a very special and unforgettable moment unfolded during a stakeholder tour at Province House.

Kathy Large is the great-great-great granddaughter of Smith and was at the site with her brother in-law Ian Scott. They happened to have some artifacts with them that day which included a family bible with Smith’s signature.

The signature on the underside of the southwest balcony was quickly pointed out to Large and Scott. The excitement in the room was palpable.

"Once we saw the signature in the bible, we knew it was Isaac Smith’s signature on a rough piece of wood instead of a smooth piece of paper,” said Willis. “I think he signed it upside down because the gap between Mr. I and Smith is so wide."

Harris had the opportunity to meet Large and Scott and shared the story about her finding the signature.

"I just happened to be at right place at the right time. If I had been there by myself, I could have easily seen it, not make out the writing, and forgot about it,” said Harris. “It was really neat to chat with his ancestor and make that connection."

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More mysteries

Every artist leaves a mark

While removing a small door jamb stone at the south-east entrance in July 2020, a stonemason discovered something unusual- polyethylene sheeting between the door jamb and the stone behind it.

After removing the polyethylene sheeting, much to the stonemason’s surprise, a carving of a human face was discovered. The stone was designated for replacement, so drill marks can be seen surrounding the face, but luckily, it did not ruin this unique display of artwork.

The face carving has a 3D quality to it. The smiling face has eyes looking to the side, with a nose and cheeks that slightly protrude, while wisps of hair frame the face. One of the cheeks has a unique stone pigment, giving him a rosy cheek.

The presence of polyethylene sheeting and newer mortar raises questions about whether the face was carved by one of the original stonemasons (James Watts, William Bain, Francis McDuff) and then repositioned and reinstalled during later renovations or whether the face was created later in the building's history, by a more modern stonemason.

We will likely never know for certain who carved it, but we can hypothesize that someone wanted to leave their mark by carving his own face into the stone. Whoever it was, clearly had a sense a humour, and never intended for it to be found.

Ekua Quainoo discovers her passion for heritage conservation

 Ekua Quainoo, project coordinator for Heritage Grade

Ekua Quainoo works with the heritage conservation company, Heritage Grade, as a Construction Project Coordinator for the traditional plastering crew (see article on page 2 of this issue) and for the carpentry crew. When asked about a typical day, she explains, “It’s very interesting, it’s dynamic; it changes all the time. Because it’s a building being renovated, every day comes with challenges, and I have to keep track of all of that. So, I keep track of the staff, of what we’re doing for the day, what we should be doing in the future, and a lot of administrative tasks.”

Quainoo has always had an interest in construction, but there were not many opportunities back home for this career path. She came to Ontario from Botswana to seek out greater opportunities and started working with Heritage Grade in November 2023, which brought her to PEI to work as a Construction Project Coordinator at Province House. “I’ve decided that this just might be my chosen path; I might just continue with heritage restoration. I’m finding it very exciting!”

She elaborates, “When you see a building, you don’t know how much work has gone into it, and how much planning and how different things were in the past. So, as you progress with the reconstruction, you also get an idea of how people did things in the past.” She adds, “It’s the transformation; that’s really exciting. You get a little glimpse into the past.”

Regarding the challenges of the project, Quainoo notes, “There have been a lot of unforeseen circumstances, because you don’t know what’s behind any wall. As we peel the layers back, we discover different things, and we’re basically going through the years. So, one previous year’s reconstruction had been done differently to the prior one; so just peeling back, you’re discovering new things and new challenges, and nobody could have foreseen those.”

Quainoo’s delight is in the historic and artisanal details. “I think it’s lovely. It’s a very nice heritage building; there’s a lot of small things that people may have overlooked, that – when you think about it – a lot of effort was put into creating those small pieces. For example, there’s some nails that we found that had different types of heads, and I found that very interesting because each of those heads had to be shaped individually and manually.”

Pointing to the plaster medallion overhead, she describes how her team made moldings of the different elements, carefully recreated them, and reinstalled them. Quainoo smiles, “I only put up two, but I’m excited for the two that I helped put up and hopefully this will last a long time. And if you do look at them very closely, you’ll see that a lot of them have their own character, so that’s really, really nice as well.” She adds, “All hand-made: a lot of thought and effort went into it. And even just positioning them; if you take a view from right below, it looks really lovely!”

Asked what she thinks of Province House, Quainoo offers an interesting analogy. Where she lived in Botswana, her work location was beside a game reserve, so she saw wildlife on a daily basis. “Province House, I liken to an elephant because of the way it looks on the outside, if you notice the way the bricks are layered. An elephant’s skin is really, really thick… it’s a very strong structure... And an elephant has a very good memory as well; it remembers where it comes from, it has a direction where it needs to go to, and they travel in herds. So, I would liken this building to that because this building has been here for a long time, the community remembers it, the community supports in the reconstruction, and I think, all together we are all helping to restore it.”

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