Description of Historic Place

Laporte Community Hall is a Municipal Heritage Property occupying a .073 ha lot on Main Street in the Hamlet of Laporte . The property features a one-storey, wood-frame building constructed in 1928.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Laporte Community Hall resides in its long-standing role as a public gathering place for the people of Laporte and district. Built during 1928-1929, shortly after the hamlet’s founding, the hall was the first facility of its kind in the municipality. It has been at the heart of Laporte’s community life ever since, providing a venue for church services, banquets, wedding and anniversary celebrations, baby and bridal showers, concerts, movies, card parties, teas and bazaars. Many well-attended dances are some of the most fondly and best-remembered events that were held in the hall. The hall has also served an important role as a meeting place for local clubs and organizations, and has provided facilities for health clinics and charity fund-raisers. Retaining a high degree of historic integrity, the hall is currently the home of the Laporte Quilters club, and is still used for special occasions and periodic community events.

Heritage value also lies in the hall’s status as a symbol of community spirit. From the beginning, the hall has been a community-supported institution. Capital for the hall’s construction was raised by selling shares to local residents. Volunteers directed by Wellington Hodgins, a local farmer and skilled carpenter, built the hall on a site purchased and donated by the Laporte Ladies Aid. Throughout the years, the Ladies Aid played a central role in the operation of the hall, including the catering of events, helping with upkeep, and raising money for maintenance and renovations. In the 1960s, the hall was organized as a community cooperative. Today, hall ownership is structured as a non-profit corporation managed by a local volunteer board. Proud that this important facility has been sustained for over seven decades, the people of Laporte view the hall as an embodiment of the cooperation, volunteerism and fellowship that characterize their community.

Source:

Rural Municipality of Chesterfield No. 261 Bylaw No. 1/2004.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of Laporte Community Hall resides in the following character-defining elements:
-elements that reflect the building’s use as a community hall, including its long rectangular plan and gable roof; the open floor plan on the main level with a vaulted, v-grooved fir ceiling and maple dance floor; and the basement hall space with kitchen area and service windows at the rear;
-elements that speak to the hall’s historic relationship with the community, including its location on its original site, exterior signage, and period construction materials such as shake shingles and clapboard siding.