Harmer Sawmill gets a new roof!

Posted on: August 20, 2011 Subscribe

London: August 20, 2011 - The BIG ON HISTORY! Capital Campaign Cabinet led by Gord MacKenzie and the Board of Directors for the London & Middlesex Heritage Museum (Fanshawe Pioneer Village) are pleased to announce a gift from the community that will help the Campaign move closer to its $3 million goal - a $6,100 donation from Farm Credit Canada (FCC) AgriSprit Fund.

The 1918 Harmer Sawmill at Fanshawe Pioneer Village needed a new roof. This building provided grist and sawing operations for Fullerton Township in Perth County from 1885 to 1979. When the property was sold, the family donated the building and the machinery to Fanshawe Pioneer Village. Volunteers have restored the sawmill machinery to working order, including the 1924 Ruston & Hornsby Diesel engine, but the leaking roof was damaging the machinery.

Sawmills were the first industries to move into rural Ontario after the arrival of settlers. They provided sawn lumber for house and barn construction for expanding farms. The Harmer Sawmill is a working example of those early mills preserved by Fanshawe Pioneer Village thanks to the donation of time and talent by many volunteers. These volunteers were thrilled to learn that their application to the AgriSpirit Fund was successful. The deteriorated shingle roof has now been replaced with metal roofing, appropriate to the age of the building and durable for decades to come.

“The FCC AgriSpirit Fund is just one way FCC contributes to rural communities across the country,” says Dawn Kobayashi, FCC Manager, Community Investment. “Each year, through the fund, we contribute $1 million to capital projects that enhance rural communities. We're proud to support the hard work of Fanshawe Pioneer Village by helping to put a new roof on the Harmer Sawmill, a true piece of rural history." Farm Credit Canada employees and representatives will be on hand on Saturday, August 20th at 11:00 am to announce this donation and see the Harmer Sawmill in operation.

“We are truly thankful for the incredible support shown by FCC for Harmer Sawmill,” states Gord MacKenzie, Chair, Campaign Cabinet. “This gift is a fine example of support from our community and the important role they see Fanshawe Pioneer Village playing in the preservation of our past for future generations.”