Description of Historic Place

The Bancroft House is a one-and-a-half storey vernacular residence located in the centre of the Grand Manan Island, well away from the shoreline where it would be out of sight of passing ships containing privateers. Bancroft Road, the road leading to the farm, is named after the Bancroft family, the original owners of the residence. The farm is located at the very end of this road with the only island airport very close by. The fenced land around the farm contains cultivated fields and pasture for a herd of the red deer.

Heritage Value

The Bancroft House is designated a Local Historic Place for being one of the oldest original homes on Grand Manan with a construction date of 1798. It was and is operated as a farm with animals and cultivated fields. The original Bancroft Family had the home built and lived there until 1936 when Albertine Bancroft, a spinster, passed away. The house is an example of vernacular Cape Cod residential architecture from the end of the 18th century. It is a wood framed house with the local pine trees having been harvested from the Dark Harbour area and made into lumber at the Dark Harbour Mill on the Dark Harbour Brook. This wood was harvested before the first great fire. The boards are hard wood pegged, not nailed.

The location and layout of the property is also significant. The home was built in the central area of the island away from the shore so as to be hidden from the roving privateers. The original well is still in its original location close to the house. The original road to Dark Harbour, since removed, passed between the house and its well.

Source: Grand Manan Archives - Local Historic Places files

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements that describe the architecture of the Bancroft House include:
- rectangular one-and-a-half storey massing;
- moderately-pitched gable roof;
- original window size and placement, except for the large picture window;
- central supporting beams supporting the house, necessary when the load-bearing fireplace was removed;
- wood frame construction of local Dark Harbour pine with hard wood pegs, not nails;
- rock foundation walls creating a 1.5 metre crawl space.

The character-defining elements that describe the location and context of the property include:
- inland location;
- original 4 metre well;
- continued use as a working farm, including: a herd of red deer, other animals such as cows and pigs raised annually, cultivated fields.