2011 Commercial Award

Avondale Sky Winery
Avonport, Hants County, NS
Lorraine Vassalo and Stewart Creaser

The former St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, now restored and repurposed.

In the commercial category, the 2011 award went to Avondale Sky Winery, owned by Lorraine Vassalo and Stewart Creaser, for the preservation and rehabilitation of the former St. Matthew’s Anglican Church from Walton, Hants County, now repurposed as the retail outlet of the winery.  Built between 1837 and1844, St. Matthew’s is one of Nova Scotia’s early examples of the Carpenter Gothic style. In the spring of 2011, the church attracted widespread attention as it was moved by barge and road to Avondale and placed on a new foundation. Although little historical documentation was available, the subsequent work soon revealed building techniques used by early shipwrights. In a modern link which joins the former church to the winery building (itself a restored barn relocated from its original site along the St. Croix River), a section of the exterior wall showing the coulisse construction has been left exposed. Minimal intervention was practiced wherever possible. The interior woodwork with hand-carved mouldings retains its original finish. Exterior architectural elements which had deteriorated were painstakingly replicated by hand. Where replacement was necessary, old materials were sourced within the region. Although its purpose has changed, the former St. Matthew’s remains within the bounds of its original parish and is still a warm and welcoming building. The winery receives visitors on a regular basis with memories and stories to tell about St. Matthew’s.