A key cultural and historical site in Neubergthal has officially regained its municipal heritage status.
It came about as a result of a somewhat unexpected discovery by the Neubergthal Heritage Foundation (NHF).
Many in the community assumed the Commons site, located in the heart of the nationally recognized heritage village, was already protected under heritage designation. But as NHF chair Paul Krahn explained, that wasn’t the case—at least not recently.
“It’s a bit of an interesting story,” said Krahn. “The Commons had been designated before 2008 – parts of it anyway.
“The Eddie Schmidt section, the Klippenstein House and the H.F. Hamm House, which is now used as a picnic shelter, were all included. But the barn wasn’t. That original designation was applied for by Brian and Janet Hamm, who also included their entire yard north of the Commons.”
After the Hamm property was sold, the new owners, possibly concerned about the limitations a heritage designation might bring – applied to have it undesignated.
“There’s a lot of misunderstanding around what heritage designation actually means,” Krahn said. “People worry it will affect resale value or restrict what they can do with their property. But the reality is, it also opens doors to grants and support.”
The NHF only realized the Commons site had been undesignated when they applied for a provincial grant to repaint the barn, and one of the grant’s requirements was a municipal heritage designation.
“That’s when we started doing some digging and found out the site had been undesignated at some point,” said Krahn.
To correct the oversight, the NHF had to reapply to the Rural Municipality of Rhineland to have the site officially redesignated. This included a formal hearing process, which was reviewed and approved by the municipal council. The redesignation was recently made official through a municipal bylaw under the Heritage Resources Act.
“Even though Neubergthal as a whole has been declared a national historic site, that doesn’t automatically apply to individual properties,” Krahn explained.
“Each one needs to go through its own application process at the municipal level. The national designation gives you recognition and support, but it doesn’t bring in the same kinds of funding opportunities that a municipal designation can,” he added.
Now that the Commons site has regained its official heritage status, it is once again eligible for critical provincial funding. This includes grants for restoration and maintenance, which are essential to the NHF’s ongoing work to preserve the historic fabric of the village.
Krahn hopes other property owners with historically significant buildings will consider going through the process as well.
“There are lots of buildings that could be designated. If there’s an open line of communication between property owners and the municipality, you can get access to support that really makes a difference.”
The official municipal notice cites the lands and premises and buildings commonly known as The Commons Site in the Village of Neubergthal, under the Heritage Resources Act by municipal bylaw of the Municipality of Rhineland, was designated as a municipal heritage site.
Krahn added for the NHF, it’s not just about the ability to obtain grants.
“It’s about honouring the legacy of a community with deep roots and a unique architectural story worth preserving.”
