Description of Historic Place

The Leonard Carey Archibald House is located at 40 Old South River Road, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. This elegant home is situated in a quiet setting backing on the West River. The house and property are included in the municipal designation.

Heritage Value

The Leonard Carey Archibald House is valued for the association with Archibald, who was a prominent businessman, and civic leader. Leonard Carey Archibald was born on March 28, 1850 at Truro, Nova Scotia. He moved to Antigonish in 1866 where he began his business career in retail. He married Annie Lindsay in 1873 at Antigonish and they had two sons. Leonard Carey Archibald was instrumental in the movement to incorporate the Town of Antigonish in 1889. It is notable that the boundaries of the Town were broadened to include the Archibald property, and which enabled Archibald to serve as first mayor of Antigonish from 1889 to 1890.

Archibald's business interests included the Canada Milk Condensing Company, on Main Street, Antigonish which he owned and operated. The factory produced dairy products under the brand names Dairy Maid, Pheasant, Owl, and Red Star. He also became a leading cheesemaker, exporting cheese to markets throughout Canada, New England and the West Indies. He ended his Antigonish operation in 1912. At that time Archibald moved to Queen Street, Truro and became President and Manager of the Crushed Milk Company in that town. He died at Truro Jan 20, 1920 but his remains were returned to Antigonish for burial.

The house is valued as a well-preserved example of Second Empire architecture. It features a characteristic mansard roof with an s-curve profile. The asymmetrical front façade has the original paired main entry doors with transom as well as a verandah. The lower floor windows are one-over-one with heavy wooden surrounds. The upper dormer windows are arched and hooded on the mansard roof. Other distinctive features of this elegant home are its ornately bracketed eaves, molded cornices, and a one-storey bay window. The basic structure of the house remains unchanged.

Source: Municipality County of Antigonish, Registered Heritage Property file no. 444

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Leonard Carey Archibald House include:
- asymmetrical Second Empire;
- mansard roof with s-curve;
- decorative brackets beneath eaves;
- arched and hooded dormer windows on mansard roof;
- original entrance doors;
- single storey bay window.