Sinclair Inn Museum
The Sinclair Inn
232 St. George Street
Annanolis Royal, Nova scotia
c. 1708-1710
From the exterior, the Sinclair Inn (or Farmers Hotel, as it was known at the time of this photograph), appears to be a Loyalist structure. It is, however, the result of the union of two much earlier structures. The front third of the building nearest the street was originally a two-storey house built on the site in 1710 by Jean Baptist Soullard, a silversmith from Quebec who married an Acadian girl, Louise Comeau, in Port Royal. He evidently did not stay long after the capture of the town that year, because in November 1746, one Rebecca Whitechurch was licensed by the council "to retail strong Drink" from the Soullard House. So began the building's life as a "public house", an association that would continue, almost without interruption, for over two hundred years.
www.annapolisheritagesociety.com/index.htm
This is perhaps the most unusual museum I have ever seen. Most museums are a repository for artifacts. In this case, the museum is the artifact.
The building started out as a residence about 1710 and over time, another building was moved and joined to it to expand it and it also had a number of renovations that increased its size and appearance. The museum is not a restoration of the building to a specific date as one might expect. Instead, the interior has been partially peeled back as it were, to show the various construction methods used over the last 400 years. They have left evidence of its use through its history, providing the visitor with an unparalleled opportunity to learn much about architecture in early Canada.
When we were there, admission to the museum was FREE!
See set here: www.flickr.com/photos/whitebeard/sets/72157623540225813/
Sinclair Inn Museum
The Sinclair Inn
232 St. George Street
Annanolis Royal, Nova scotia
c. 1708-1710
From the exterior, the Sinclair Inn (or Farmers Hotel, as it was known at the time of this photograph), appears to be a Loyalist structure. It is, however, the result of the union of two much earlier structures. The front third of the building nearest the street was originally a two-storey house built on the site in 1710 by Jean Baptist Soullard, a silversmith from Quebec who married an Acadian girl, Louise Comeau, in Port Royal. He evidently did not stay long after the capture of the town that year, because in November 1746, one Rebecca Whitechurch was licensed by the council "to retail strong Drink" from the Soullard House. So began the building's life as a "public house", an association that would continue, almost without interruption, for over two hundred years.
www.annapolisheritagesociety.com/index.htm
This is perhaps the most unusual museum I have ever seen. Most museums are a repository for artifacts. In this case, the museum is the artifact.
The building started out as a residence about 1710 and over time, another building was moved and joined to it to expand it and it also had a number of renovations that increased its size and appearance. The museum is not a restoration of the building to a specific date as one might expect. Instead, the interior has been partially peeled back as it were, to show the various construction methods used over the last 400 years. They have left evidence of its use through its history, providing the visitor with an unparalleled opportunity to learn much about architecture in early Canada.
When we were there, admission to the museum was FREE!
See set here: www.flickr.com/photos/whitebeard/sets/72157623540225813/