Renovation of Castle Kilbride

Castle Kilbride, an Italianate Victorian masterpiece built in 1877 at Baden, Ontario, for the flax industrialist James Livingston, is a National Historic Site of Canada managed by the Township of Wilmot. After three generations in the Livingston family, then a period of neglect, the property was bought in 1993 and reopened as a museum in 1994. As part of recent restoration efforts, the entrance steps were replaced with Accoya treads, combining function with appearance while respecting the historic charm of the building and its distinctive belvedere. The steps were made by Homestead Woodworks, which turned raw Accoya into a genuine piece of cabinetmaking, finished with PPG paint over a Sherwin Williams primer. The dimensional stability and durability of Accoya guarantee the longevity of this work, allowing visitors to step back into the opulent Victorian era.