Description of Historic Place

The A.T. Seaman House, built in 1843, is a large, two-storey Georgian style home sitting on the Barronsfield Road on the approach to Minudie from River Hebert, Nova Scotia. The large house, mainly hidden from the road by large trees and bushes, is on its original rural site in the vicinity of other homes built during the same period. The house and surrounding land are included in the municipal designation.

Heritage Value

The value of the A.T. Seaman house lies in its being an outstanding example of Georgian architecture typically used in the mid-eighteenth century for homes of successful, affluent families. Value is also found in its association with entrepreneur Amos “King” Seaman, and the era of great prosperity he fostered in Minudie and the surrounding area during the mid to late nineteenth century.

Architectural Value

The A.T. Seaman House is an outstanding example of a Georgian house. The building is in very good condition. The main house has had few alterations since constructed in 1843 by carpenter Nelson Beckwith and mason Samuel Taylor, although an ell was added a few years after construction to house a kitchen, and a shed was added for wood and storage. The large rectangular original section of the house is wood frame construction on a cut stone foundation topped with a medium-pitched hip roof. The typically Georgian features of proportion, symmetry and balance are seen in the row of nine-over-nine double-hung sash windows on each floor. Other Georgian features in the house are its sturdy appearance, simple lines, and the flat, plain surfaces with little detail. Although the main entry is not centered, it is accentuated by a transom and sidelights. The elegant home still has the board and batten exterior walls.

Historical Value

The A.T. Seaman House represents the prosperous era of Amos “King” Seaman, his family, and his influence on the area’s history and development. A.T. (Amos Thomas) Seaman was the eldest son of Amos Peck “King” Seaman. He worked as a farmer and a merchant, and helped operate his father’s stores and mills. King Seaman’s industrial empire brought prosperity to Minudie and the surrounding area in the early to mid eighteen hundreds. His empire included mills, ships and shipping ports, cattle, warehouses, stores, quarries, and grindstone production. He shipped hay, vegetables and grindstones to New England, the eastern seaboard, and the Caribbean, and he had the first steam powered grist mill in NS. Although the house is the last remaining homestead of the Seaman Family, the two churches and the school built by Amos Seaman in Minudie still stand. These four buildings reflect the influence of Amos Seaman’s industries, vision and drive.

Source: “Heritage Property County, A.T. Seaman House” File, Cumberland County Museum

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the A.T. Seaman House include:

- original site, size and massing;
- cut stone foundation;
- wood frame construction;
- board and batten exterior walls;
- off-centered, recessed entry with heavy entablature, transom and sidelights.

Character-defining Georgian elements of the A.T. Seaman House include:

- simple, sturdy lines;
- medium-pitched hip roof with two symmetrically-placed chimneys;
- wide frieze and pilaster corner boards;
- three-bay façade;
- symmetric placement of double-hung sash windows.