The MacPhee House in

Sheet Harbour, Nova Scotia Sheet Harbour is a rural area, rural community in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is located in the eastern reaches of the Halifax, Nova Scotia, Halifax Regional Municipality, approximately northeast of the central urban area of the municipality, co ...

is a former hotel and present day visitor information centre listed on the

Canadian Register of Historic Places The Canadian Register of Historic Places (CRHP; , ), also known as Canada's Historic Places, is an online directory of historic places in Canada which have been formally recognized for their heritage value by a federal, provincial, territorial ...

for its heritage value. Wendy MacKenzie (the president of the Sheet Harbour Heritage Society) is the current curator. The -story house was built around 1875 in the centre of Sheet Harbour on a lot. A two-storey side

ell An ell (from Proto-Germanic *''alinō'', cognate with Latin ''ulna'') is a northwestern European unit of measurement, originally understood as a cubit (the combined length of the forearm and extended hand). The word literally means "arm", an ...

was added in 1911 to accommodate visitors, as it was then being used as a hotel. This use continued until at least 1964. The

gable wall A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

features an

open pediment Pediments are a form of gable in classical architecture, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the cornice (an elaborated lintel), or entablature if supported by columns.Summerson, 130 In ancient ...

in the style of

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

architecture. Photographs of the hotel show an open

verandah A veranda (also spelled verandah in Australian and New Zealand English) is a roofed, open-air hallway or porch, attached to the outside of a building. A veranda is often partly enclosed by a railing and frequently extends across the front an ...

with decorative

fretwork Fretwork is an interlaced decorative design that is either carved in low relief on a solid background, or cut out with a fretsaw, coping saw, jigsaw or scroll saw. Most fretwork patterns are geometric in design. The materials most commonly u ...

. A fire partially destroyed the extension and rather than see this historic building demolished, it was purchased by the

Government of Nova Scotia The Government of Nova Scotia (, ) is the government of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia. The powers and structure of the province are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867. In modern Canadian use, the term ...

in 1985 and moved to its present site near the West River Bridge on lands formerly owned by the

Scott Paper Company The Scott Paper Company was a manufacturer and marketer of sanitary tissue products with operations in 22 countries. Its products were sold under a variety of well-known brand names, including ''Scott Tissue'', ''Cottonelle'', ''Baby Fresh'', ''S ...

. Currently, the building is used as a Visitor Information Centre and also houses an interpretive centre for the history of the area. It is set in a park area linked to scenic nature trails.

References

External links

Sheet Harbour & Area Chamber of Commerce: Visitor informationMacPhee House
- information from Nova Scotia.com Museums in Halifax, Nova Scotia History museums in Nova Scotia Historic house museums in Nova Scotia {{NovaScotia-struct-stub