Description of Historic Place

Cochrane House is a two-and-one-half storey wooden home located on Acadia Street, in Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Situated in a densely-populated area of the community, the home rests on a small plot of land with many other homes located nearby. Only the building is included in the designation.

Heritage Value

Cochrane House is valued for its architectural features and for its association to its builder, D. A. Munro and former owners, James W Caldwell and D. Ross Cochrane.

The home was built in 1894 by D. A. Munro. A carriage and sleigh maker, Munro operated a steam-powered carriage factory and woodworking plant in Wolfville. Along with his son, D.R. Munro, he built the town’s first ice rink in 1881, which popularized hockey as a sport enjoyed by both men and women. Later that year, the rink pioneered electricity use in the town when Munro installed the first electric light in his ice rink with power from his woodworking factory. With Munro’s plant providing the electricity, D.A. and his partner, J.A. Woodman, led an enterprise in 1895 that brought street lights to the town.

Like Munro, the first owner of Cochrane House, James W Caldwell was a well known and respected citizen. He owned a furniture business in town and worked for the town on a variety of issues, which included incorporation and improving roads and transportation.

D. Ross Cochrane and his family lived in the home for 50 years. He operated a drug store in Wolfville from 1924 and was also an active member of the community. During the Second World War, he served as an air raid warden for the town. He also served as town councillor in 1932-33 and as treasurer of the Woodcarvers Guild.

Architecturally, Cochrane House is valued because it remains a fine example of a late-nineteenth century, middle-class town dwelling. The home is a Vernacular structure, and includes a mixture of Classic Revival and Queen Anne Revival elements. Classic Revival details are apparent in the home’s mouldings and pilasters and its wide corner boards while Queen Anne details are evidenced in the enclosed side veranda and the cornices of the two gable ends that form triangular pediments.

sources:
- Town of Wolfville Heritage Property Program files, Cochrane House file.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of Cochrane House include:

- its location situated close to road;
- asymmetrical four-bay façade;
- steep-pitched gable roof with a cornice on front façade that forms a triangular pediment;
- clapboard siding with corner pilasters;
- windows with architraves and hood mouldings;
- pedimented gable;
- frontispiece with gable end completed by a cornice to form a triangular pediment;
- enclosed side veranda with bay window, hip roof with finial and overhanging eaves and pilasters.