Lunenberg heritage property restored by N.S. filmmaker to feature on Discovery Plus

A former schoolhouse in Lunenberg, N.S., is getting a new lease on life thanks to a preservation effort that will be documented on Discovery Plus.

The schoolhouse was built in 1883 as an elementary school and served that purpose for 70 years said Edward Peill, a filmmaker with Tell Tale Productions. The building was consolidated with another historical site, the Lunenberg Academy, known as “The Castle on the Hill.”

“It sat empty for about four or five years before I bought it,” Peill said.

Peill purchased the building understanding that he was taking on an enormous project.

“There was a lot of pressure I guess, to not mess it up,” Peill said. "A lot of people took a great interest in what the final result was going to be.”

Peill’s sister Kate has joined him in the massive undertaking. She said she is proud of her brother for seeing the potential beauty of the building through the disrepair.

The sibling’s hard work paid off. They converted the schoolhouse into four beautiful units and preserved much of the original building.

They also discovered some treasures during construction, including a leather sea boot that was buried inside the wall, and added a few new pieces of history from the community, such as parts of the Bluenose.

“You know from the original 1962 [sic] Bluenose, I can’t think of anything more special,” Peill said.

Peill held an open house in November. He said hundreds of people viewed the property and they were all amazed.

“I didn’t hear one negative comment,” Peill said.

People who missed the open house can visit the building and watch the transformation from their own homes on an upcoming episode of “In with the Old,” streaming on Discovery Plus on Dec. 27.

“I hope it will inspire people to recycle more and repurpose and see that you don’t have to do a teardown on anything that’s more than 20 years old,” Kate said.

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