Most tourists make it a point to stop in Lunenburg Nova Scotia, with its picture perfect views, beautiful wooden architecture, and historical churches, the town makes for a postcard setting.
But Lunenburg didn’t start out that way.
The 1453 Protestant settlers, under British rule, were promised land for their home and farming, materials to build their homes, and live tax free for a period of time. They were told of a grand week long journey from Europe to Halifax and it would all be dream.
The week long journey? The reality was 150 days through treacherous waters. As soon as the Protestants got off the boat they were put to work to pay off their debt. They had to build Lunenburg Nova Scotia from scratch and each family was given a plot of land through a lottery system. The plots were laid out in a grid fashion all of equal size.
These Protestants were farmers, however, the so called fertile soils didn’t reap a farmer’s rewards. The settlers had to improvise, so they turned to the sea. They began building boats, some of the finest schooners around. The most famous being The Bluenose, which was a celebrated racing ship before wrecking in 1946.
Heading to Halifax? Be sure the read this post: The Best Things to Do in Halifax, Nova Scotia – A Complete Guide
It was pretty remarkable that a town settled by farmers from a landlocked area of Europe figured out how to fish build incredible boats. And they did it well. It wasn’t long before they were hauling cod out of the Grand Banks. The cod was so plentiful that they ended up exporting it all around the world. Cod, and the wealth that came from this meaty white fish, built Lunenburg Nova Scotia from the ground up.
The talented ship builders began to use their carpentry skills to design the eye-catching buildings throughout the town. In 1995 this picturesque town was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, making it the 2nd urban area to have the distinction in North America. It received the honor because it is a splendid display of a British Settlement.
A few buildings and architectural details of Lunenburg Nova Scotia to note while you visit:
Lunenburg Academy
designed by Solomon Morash, and built in 1895 costing the town $30,000. It remained a public school until March of 2012.
The Wedding Cake House
This lovely pink Victorian is one of the prettiest houses in town and sits near Lunenburg Academy and was also designed by Solomon Morash for the family.
The Oldest House in Lunenburg
Just two doors down from the Wedding Cake house it the oldest house in Lunenburg- it’s in a lovely Cape Cod style and is painted a colonial blue. The owners of this home have taken great care to preserve it. While cutting away a bit of the wall to install plexiglass to preserve it, they uncovered a Bible from the 1700s!
St. John’s Church
St. John was the first church established in Lunenburg Nova Scotia, and the second oldest Anglican Church in Canada. Built in high Victorian Gothic architecture, the steeple points were so high they would dominate the skyline. Tragically on Halloween in 2001 a fire destroyed the church. It took over $6 million dollars to restore it using local carpenters and sources. Along the way they even discovered a crypt beneath the church.
Widow’s Watch
A room that is at the top of the house providing a space for the wives to sit and watch for ships returning. If a schooner returned with a flag at half mast it meant someone didn’t make it back from the expedition.
The Lunenburg Bump
This is an enlarged dormer that extends out over the eaves. It is a five sided “bump” that sits in the center of the house, usually with a storm porch underneath.
The Bluenose II
A replica of the original fishing boat that wrecked. It was built in 1963 and you can tour it when it is in port at Lunenburg.
If you add Lunenburg Nova Scotia to your Canadian travels I can’t recommend Lunenburg Walking Tours enough. They have historical stories for days on this beautiful town, and they recently added in ghost tours…and trust me, some of those stories are creepy!
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