Black Horse, Pig’s Ear make national endangered list

A closed downtown Peter borough bar and another with an uncertain future have made a national list of endangered heritage landmarks.

The Pig’s Ear Tavern on Brock Street, which closed at the end of April, and the Black Horse Pub on George Street, which remains open after a sale of the property to the new Pig’s Ear owner unravelled, are among 10 spots included on the National Trust for Canada’s annual list of endangered places, which was compiled from formal nominations and media scans conducted by staff.

An online charity auction of the contents of the Pig’s Ear Tavern, arranged by new owner/ developer Parkview Homes, is about to begin. Bids open at 10 a.m. Sunday, and the auction is expected to continue for five days.

The National Trust for Canada has been compiling the list since 2005.

The charity hopes the list will help shine a spotlight on historic places at risk due to neglect, lack of funding, inappropriate development or weak legislation. The 2017 list also includes: • Somerset House in Ottawa • The Wallingford-Back Mine in western Quebec, which is popular with visitors who come to swim or paddle in the turquoise waters of its lake or skate in winter

• Davisville Junior Public School in Toronto

• Hangar 11, one of the last Second World War hangars at the former Edmonton municipal airport

• Manie Opera Society, the oldest building in downtown Lethbridge, Alberta’s Chinatown district.

Stewart Hamilton, the chairman of the Peterborough Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee (PACAC), said it’s “no surprise” that the two local bars were included on the list.

“The Trust provides leadership, education and programs that promote the care and respect of our built heritage,” he stated in an email.

Hamilton also stated that both the historic bars are eligible for heritage designation.

The Pig’s Ear Tavern was Ear built in 1865 and The Black Horse is from 1882. They are attached on either side to the Morrow Building, an elaborately-preserved heritage building at the southwest corner of Brock and George streets.

The Pig ’s Ear closed in April after 150 years in business.

Paul Dietrich, the owner of Parkview Homes, has a demolition permit for the Piggy. He told city council in March that his plan is to demolish the building and replace it with a five-storey apartment building.

Dietrich also tried to buy The Black Horse, but the deal collapsed in May. He had taken out a demolition permit for that building too, which remains valid (even though the building is back on the real estate market).

The asking price for the Black Horse is $850,000.

When asked on Thursday evening whether he still plans to demolish the Piggy, Dietrich didn’t say yes or no.

“Our intentions are to help revitalize the downtown,” he stated in a written message to The Examiner.

“Our plans have been – and remain – the same: bring jobs, homes and growth to downtown Peterborough,” he wrote.

Last week, council adopted a list of historic buildings that could be considered for heritage designation. It doesn’t include the Pig’s Ear or the Black Horse, though, because there are still demolition permits issued on them both.

Mayor Daryl Bennett stated in an email on Thursday evening that converting 19th century buildings can be “prohibitively costly” for property owners.

He wrote that the National Heritage Trust says property owners could use federal tax credits to save historic buildings.

“The city is looking at creating its own property tax incentive through the Central Area Community Improvement Plan to encourage the renovation of heritage buildings,” he wrote.

NOTE: The contents of the Pig ’s Ear will be auctioned off starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Bids close at 8 p.m. on Thursday. Items are to be picked up at the Pig’s Ear from 2 until 6 p.m. on June 16. Visit https://ruslands.hibid.com/auction/101275/pigs-ear-tavern-online-auction---june-1115th--2017