The painted surfaces in the home have been painted over (c. 1980). The original artwork was in a state of decay. The current owners, The Wilsons, could not afford to restore the paintings. The faux stone and marbleized arches on the first and second floor hall were originally painted by artist Ripley.
The home is approximately 200 years old. The age of the painted hutch is unknown. The current owners, The Steeves, believe that it was coloured with natural dyes and stained. The couple were sanding down the hutch's surface in order to repaint it. Under many accumulated layers of paint they found the original stained surface.
The house was built sometime between 1830-1840. The house was put on a new foundation. There are examples of wood graining in the parlour. Similar graining can also be found in the United Church. Stencils were used to decoratively paint the mantel. The house is unaltered (c.1979).
Catalogue info: The house was built around 1860-65 for John McKenzie, a prosperous merchant in River John. The foundation of the home is comprised of quarried stone. John (1831-1915) married Maria Archibald (1837-1868) on December 5th, 1861. They had two daughters, Bessie Archibald and Mary Olivia. The house remained in the McKenzie-Sutherland family until 1983.
House features two painted surfaces. The painted horse is in the living room and the painted ship is in the corridor. Both were painted by itinerant artist, Irishman Charlie Doyle, circa 1907.
Home of Norman Creighton. Paintings circa 1890-1900 by Mrs. Caroline Scammen Elder. Mrs. Elder had studied art in Boston, USA. Catalogue Info: The Elder family immigrated to Nova Scotia from County Donegal, Ireland, about 1780. William Elder, third generation Canadian, studied at Harvard University and later taught geology and chemistry at Colby College in Maine.
Chris Huntington's home. Parlour has original paint. Lunenburg County front door. In March 2007 Mr. Hintington hosted an auction where he sold most of his antique furniture and painted pieces. There is no longer any original painted surfaces or painted furniture in the home.
The construction date of this modest cape cod style home is uncertain. The date 1850 is carved into the central chimney of the home but social historian Kenneth Gilmour, from Nova Scotia Museum, believes that the home predates this inscription.
The Mounce home was built by Robert H. Caravan, a contractor from Windsor, NS in 1909/10.
The late Victorian mansion was built for newlyweds Thomas A. Mounce and Annie Mosher, married in 1909. The pair were both from notable families that had grown and prospered in the local shipbuilding industry in Hants County.
