Heritage Houses of Nova Scotia

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

Enthusiasm and passion for the historic domestic architecture of Nova
Scotia flow out as you open this beautiful book. The authors see old
houses as “making statements about patterns in peoples’ lives, about
changing technologies ... [and] illustrat[ing] changing attitudes toward
intimacy ... towards what constitutes basic needs.”

This book will transform the way you see old houses and the respect you
have for the people who built them and lived in them. At least 150
clear, colourful, professional-quality photographs are featured, making
each page a visual and informational delight. There are close-ups of
door and window details, eaves, bays, widow’s walks, turrets, roof
lines, and ornamentation. Most, however, are whole-house views, with
perfect lighting to bring out the details. While the text is
unquestionably dynamic, the pictures make the book. It is strange,
therefore, that photographer Gary Castle receives so little
acknowledgement.

The featured houses are selected as representative of the various
styles evident in Nova Scotia from approximately 1750 to 1900. There are
Greek, Gothic, and Queen Anne revival styles; Second Empire, Craftsman,
vernacular, Italianate, and Scottish styles; and some architectural
variations associated almost exclusively with the province—the
so-called Big House, the Halifax Box, and the Lunenburg Bump styles. The
distinguishing characteristics of each style are explained, and
influences and advantages are noted.

Old-house fans, regardless of location, will find this splendid volume
a valued resource.