Have you been by the Potato House lately?
The place is buzzing with activity and excitement!
Even as outside gardens are being put to bed for winter, when you peek in a window you’ll see lots of new things flourishing inside.
The Potato House is excited to announce their renovation plans for the interior and exterior of the house, which will take place over the next year.
Thanks to funds from Heritage BC, Northern Development Initiative Trust, the Central Cariboo Arts and Culture Society, and the Cariboo Regional District, we are moving forward with a major restoration project that will fulfill our dream to create a "tiny community hall."
We are protecting the heritage aspects of the building, while making sure the house is ready for community use.
New heat and electrical systems, a new roof, new paint job, window restoration, floor refinishing, and relocation of the bathroom to make it accessible to the public are all in the works.
“The community support for The Potato House Project has been incredible,” says Potato House Society president Mary Forbes. “By next fall, you will be able to get married, have a staff meeting, plan a party, potluck or annual general meeting, and wait until you see our new bathroom!
"Designed for the natural light filtering through our vintage pane glass windows over our original claw foot tub, where even the dust motes are put to work as ambiance.”
The society is also launching an online crowd-funding campaign on Sunday, Nov. 15.
“Although we’ve been really fortunate to find grant funding for much of the project, we still need to raise some funds,” says Forbes, “and we’ve been invited to be participants in This Place Matters, a crowd-funding platform created specifically for heritage sites by the National Trust for Canada.”
This Place Matters has partnered with RBC, who will provide matching funds for projects that raise money on the site. For every dollar contributed by an individual, RBC will provide an additional .50 cents for the project.
Recently, Laureen Carruthers Photography donated all of $460 in proceeds from the Pumpkins and Bubbles Halloween photo-shoot at the Potato House pumpkin patch.
And coming up soon, the Potato House will be hosting Heritage Holiday Photos at the Medieval Market with local photographer Jana Roller on Saturday and Sunday Nov. 21/22 with proceeds going to the Potato House.
More information, can be found on the Potato House website.
Updates about the restoration project can be found on the Potato House Facebook page, or check out their website. Information about how to donate to the project will be posted there or look for it at www.ThisPlaceMatters.ca
For more information: Mary Forbes, society president at 250-855-8443 or at spuds@potatohouseproject.com