By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
A local group of historic preservationists made are looking to continue sharing the history of the St. Joseph’s historic Shakespeare Chateau.
The Shakespeare Chateau Guild hopes to continue the success that owner Isobel McGowan is having at the downtown bed and breakfast St. Joseph well into the future.
Board Member Cole Woodbury says to do that fundraising is currently underway for a new project.
"The object is to purchase the properties from her and with her help see it into it's next phase of ownership," Woodbury tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "And continue with what she's been doing all these years and add to it and improve upon it."
You can donate to the effort by mailing a check to the Guild at 809 Hall Street or you can donate online by clicking HERE.
Woodbury says the art of what it takes to preserve a historic home like the chateau is lost, but in acquiring the home the guild can teach more people the craft
"So we do have some of those craftsman that are here, we can bring in other craftsman, there's innkeeping skills that can be taught," Woodbury explains. "So this can become literally an educational workshop for skills that are needed for restoring homes like this, running bed and breakfasts, innkeeping skills, culinary skills, the list is actually quite endless."
Woodbury says the mission of the guild acquiring the chateau is to show the importance of keeping historic St Joseph homes preserved into the future.
Woodbury says a building like the chateau shows the importance of preserving historic homes to people in St. Joseph and beyond.
"If you don't ever get to see these places you don't get to understand what's here and appreciate the beauty and the artisan and everything that goes into it, you miss out on that," Woodbury says. "So, it's that exposure alone that helps generate and foster new interest and then with the workshops and the educational aspect of it you can take that interest and actually learn something that then can be used in your own restoration project."
Community members have a chance to see the historic chateau this evening from 4 to 6pm as the guild will host an open house to help raise money for the project.
