ACO Port Hope Publications

The Port Hope Branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario has launched a new book, Symbols of Our Past which is an inventory of buildings of historic or architectural significance in Hope Township. The research for this book was originally commissioned by the Port Hope ACO in 1982 but never published. At that time, with a grant from the Summer Canada Student Employment Program, students were dispatched around Hope Township to photograph and record the details of houses, which met pre-established historical or architectural criteria. Unfortunately the material was mislaid, but in 2005 the text and photos were re-discovered and since then ACO members Gerald and Joan Tooke have spent many hours scanning the photographs and lightly editing the text to turn the research into a reference book.

A first edition of 250 copies of the 160-page book is available at Furby House Books on Walton Street, Port Hope.

From Georgian to Vernacular, An Architectural & Historical Inventory (of Port Hope)  has been recently published after over a year of painstaking work by Joan and Gerald Tooke. As with the previous book, Symbols of Our Past, this book is based on a 1982 study commissioned by the ACO. The purpose of the study was to catalogue of those pre1900 residential buildings in the town of Port Hope that are of architectural significance. This book is a continuation of the previous work provides a snapshot of the houses as they were in 1982 which can be compared with those same houses today. The past decade has seen a remarkable change in the attitude of the public, the politicians, and the real estate community toward the buildings that make up our past. This study clearly demonstrates why we must continue to work to preserve our architectural heritage. It is available from Furby house Books for $29.99.