A small ceremony was held Tuesday morning to reflect upon and say farewell to one of Peterborough’s oldest buildings.
Langton House has stood on the corner of Reid and London streets since the mid-19th century.
The property was purchased by Hospice Peterborough about three years ago.
Hospice Peterborough planned to renovate the building to create a facility that would house 10 palliative care patients. Construction began this spring but stopped almost as soon as it began.
The organization said it ran into numerous problems, both with the site and aging buildings. Officials said it was cheaper to demolish the building and rebuild anew rather than continue with the renovation.
But, as Hospice Peterborough’s grief counsellor David Kennedy explained to a small crowd Tuesday, it’s important to say goodbye and acknowledge the role Langton House has played in people’s lives.
“Grief is something that has to be recognized, and today it is,” Kennedy said. “We’re sad to see this happen, the house was always part of our plan.”
According to a city report, the house was initially constructed for a judge in 1968 but came into the city’s possession in 1930s. Trent University bought the property in the 1960s, dubbing it, “Langton House,” after settler, artist and author Anne Langton, who lived in Peterborough in the mid-19th century. Trent sold the building to Peterborough Housing in 2009.
Attendees were encouraged to write messages of goodbye on ribbons that were then tied to the construction fence surrounding the demolition site.
One of those was Michael Eamon, president of Trent University’s Trail College.
“Change does happen, but not a lot of people stop to reflect on the meaning of change, and how that affects people,” Eamon said. ‘I think this is a fitting goodbye to a wonderful building that has meant so much to so many people.”
Once the building is torn down, Hospice Peterborough will build its new facility on site. Kennedy says they’re still waiting for the city to issue building permits before they can move the project forward.