ACO Port Hope has been advocating for the protection of the heritage properties of Penryn since the Mason Homes’ development plans for the nearby area were first made public in 2019. There are three AON-owned designated heritage properties, known as Penryn Park, located just south of the proposed development, and one privately-owned designated heritage property, called the Penryn Homestead, located adjacent to the proposed development. We believe that the loss of the Penryn woodlot and the close proximity of the proposed subdivision to these designated properties could seriously diminish the heritage integrity of this culturally significant area.
It is common knowledge that these four Penryn properties were designated under the Ontario Heritage Act for their architectural and historical importance. At the beginning of 2020, however, the Port Hope Archivist notified ACO that new research had just been donated that was indicating that the heritage value of these Penryn properties increased substantially when the situation of the buildings within the surrounding landscape of old trees, lake views, and natural landforms, was considered. Upon examining this research, we came to understand that the Penryn Estate was transformed, over 100 years ago, into a unique landscape in which the principles of picturesque theory were employed, and this fuller understanding means that these properties are a cultural and heritage resource that is even more significant than previously realized or recognized in the current reasons for designation. As the importance of the new research became apparent, we shared this information with the Municipality through letters to Council and an article in our newsletter. In September 2020, the Municipality retained Letourneau Heritage Consulting to evaluate the Cultural Heritage Landscape potential of the Penryn properties. Letourneau, in their recently published report, established through their own research that the Penryn “buildings, setting, vegetation and circulation around the property support 19th century picturesque design ideals” and confirmed our opinion that the area outlined in blue in Figure 83 on page 92 of their report, “comprises the Penryn Estate Cultural Heritage Landscape.”
Port Hope is very fortunate to have within its jurisdiction such an important heritage landscape that is largely open to the public. This has meant that members of the community have been able to see for themselves this spectacular picturesque property. As the Letourneau Report states, this area qualifies as a Cultural Heritage Landscape as laid out in the Provincial Policy Statement 2020. It is indeed “a defined geographical area that may have been modified by human activity and is identified as having cultural heritage value or interest by a community.”
Mason Homes has submitted an appeal regarding their development application for this area to the Ontario Land Tribunal. The case, for which ACO Port Hope has been granted Participants Status, will begin with a Case Management Conference on June 22, 2022.