Fundraising Continues for Colchester Schoolhouse

The group Heritage Colchester is continuing its fundraising efforts to restore the former Colchester Schoolhouse.

A Go Fund Me page has been set up to help kickstart the restoration process, with a goal of raising $10,000.

Heritage Colchester President Perry Basden tells AM800 News fundraising has been a challenge because as a new organization, they need two years of financial data before being able to apply for government grants.

"So we were at a loss as how to proceed, so we started the Go Fund Me page with a goal of $10,000," he says. "It's a rather small amount when you look at what the process is in trying to restore the schoolhouse."

Basden hopes the $10,000 goal is achieved to get the ball rolling.

"It will start generating interest in it, we're going to be working with Architectural Conservancy of Ontario and have them come in and do an assessment of the building to tell what it needs structurally and what is necessary to keep it restored."

Once enough funds are raised, Basden says the next step will be to get an occupancy permit from the municipality.

"Right now there is no working plumbing in the building, there's no heating, no electricity - it was disconnected years a go, so that will have to be redone for sure." he says. "But once we gain the occupancy permit we can start holding events inside the building itself."

As AM800 news reported in March, the site on Bagot Street was declared surplus and the town had planned on selling it.

The newly formed Heritage Colchester group presented to council and said it plans to restore the school built in 1881 to its former glory while converting it to multi-use community space.