Long Sault century home added to historical registry

This historic home at 23 Moulinette Road has been added to the municipality's heritage register, meaning it will receive some limited protection should someone want to tear it down. South Stormont council approved the entire register including this an 18 other properties in the township at its December meeting. (Newswatch Group/Bill Kingston, File)

LONG SAULT – A historically significant home in Long Sault has been officially added to South Stormont’s heritage register as part of a development deal.

The home at 23 Moulinette Road was added to the Municipal Heritage Register at last month’s council meeting as councillors approved the entire register, which includes 18 other locations in the township like Quinn’s Inn and the former Cornwall Township Hall.

The register is not a protection like an Ontario Heritage Act designation, but it extends Ontario Building Code timelines to 60 days instead of five or 10 days if there’s an application to tear down a building.

“The whole historical listing, that’s pretty impressive. It’s nice to see that one property registered on Moulinette (Road). That one’s significant. It means a lot of me anyway growing up here,” Coun. Cindy Woods remarked.

The privately-owned Moulinette Road home, built in 1878, is the oldest stone home prior to the construction of the village. It’s being protected as the land it’s on was split to allow for a six unit, two-and-a-half storey apartment building.

The apartments are being built by M. Emard Properties Inc. of Cornwall. A number of exceptions were approved because the development doesn’t meet established setbacks. But one of the requirements was to keep the new building 10 meters (32 feet) away from the century home to protect its “charm.”

In September, council authorized staff to approve the apartment site plan, meaning the developer can now apply for a building permit.

As for the entire historical register, the township plans to publish it on its website.