Bell Homestead National Historic Site was awarded the 2026 Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA) Project of the Year Award in the Historical Restoration/Preservation category at the OPWA Awards Luncheon held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026
City of Brantford staff were recognized for adding a historically accurate faux chimney to the Henderson House located on the Bell Homestead NHS property.
“It has been an incredible privilege to accept the OPWA Project of the Year Award,” said Robert Stanczyk, Curator at the Bell Homestead NHS. “A lot of logistics and planning occurred over the past year to bring the Bell Homestead NHS’s Henderson Home back to historical accuracy.”
In 2025, the Bell Homestead NHS’s past curator Brian Wood and City of Brantford’s Project Management Specialist, Amanda Anderson, managed the construction and logistics to restore a section of the 19th-century appearance of Henderson House located on the property. The primary goal was to add a chimney that had been lost or removed at some point in the home’s history. To ensure historical accuracy, the team researched archival photographs to identify the exact style, height, and placement of the original structure on the Henderson House roofline. In addition, to match the historical fabric of the region, the chimney was crafted using recycled Ontario-size buff bricks sourced from within the region. These local materials were used to create a custom faux chimney that serves as a lightweight, non-functional feature. This restoration mimics the original look while protecting the structural components of the roof.
By returning the Henderson House to its authentic historical profile, this restoration honours the building’s significant legacy as Canada’s first telephone office.
The OPWA Project of the Year Awards promotes excellence in Public Works management by recognizing the teamwork required to bring a difficult project to completion. To qualify for the award in the Historical Restoration/Preservation category, buildings or structures must be at least 75 years old and within this award, a specific section recognizes the restoration and preservation of historical sites. The Historical Restoration/Preservation category encompasses a wide range of preservation efforts, including projects that restore original architectural features or creatively adapt existing facilities for modern uses.
