Bayfield Heritage Committee Holds Special Meeting To Address Damage To The Albion Hotel

by Bob Montgomery

Days of heavy snow that had started to melt caused the roof of the Albion Hotel in Bayfield to collapse early Sunday morning.

Rain Sunday morning added to the weight and part of the roof also fell onto the Black Dog Pub, beside the Albion. The Albion is one of the oldest hotels on the main street and has been an icon of the village for several years. The Bayfield Heritage Committee met Monday afternoon to assess the damage. A drone was flown through the building and it was determined that the ceiling of the second floor is intact, so it is likely that the structure can be saved. Crews were scheduled to work through Monday night to get the roof off of the building and off of the adjacent Black Dog Pub. At Monday's meeting the Heritage Committee passed a motion to approve the removal of the porch at the front of the building, which has already been done, and removal of the roof, which was expected to be removed tonight. They will also work to make the structure water tight.

The Albion is owned by Jeff & Leigh Graham, and Jeff said he felt very positive after leaving the Heritage Committee meeting. He felt that the Heritage Committee and the municipality of Bluewater are committed to preserving the Albion and the Black Dog. He adds, it's clear there's a lot of work to be done, but he and his wife Leigh are overwhelmed by the support they've received from the community, starting with COVID, and now with the restoration of their building, and also the support they've shown to the staff at the Albion. He says there's no doubt in his mind he lives in the best community ever.

Graham adds there might be several options available for them to improve the building, but he points out they are limited to some degree by what they can afford to do.