Description of Historic Place

Cox's Warehouse is located on the east side of Dock Street between Ann Street and Maiden Lane in Shelburne, Nova Scotia, extending the entire side of the block. This three-and-a-half storey wooden Greek Revival style building was built in 1902. The building and property are included in the municipal designation.

Heritage Value

Cox's Warehouse is valued for its historical association with local businessman, George A. Cox, its architecture and for its contribution to the streetscape along Shelburne’s historic Dock Street.

Cox's Warehouse was built for local businessman George A. Cox in 1902. This store, one hundred and sixty feet in length, served as a place of supply for the many American fishermen who came into this port, as well as supplying the shipyards around town. The office was headquarters for shipping, lumbering, fishing and shipbuilding. There was also a retail store in the building with a mail-order department included.

George A. Cox also owned, or had interest in, at least nineteen ships during the period from 1866 to 1917. Some of the vessels were used for fishing and some carried freight to Barbados, Cuba, Santo Domingo and various other ports.

Cox's Warehouse is a three-and-a-half storey wooden Greek Revival style building. It sits on a granite block foundation and has a medium pitch gable roof. This building was the setting for the movie, "A, The Scarlet Letter" and was modified at that time to portray a meeting house on the outside by adding a steeple. The steeple still remains.

This large building is set directly on Dock Street, facing south. This was a convenient location on the waterfront as it was close to the fishing and shipbuilding activities that were conducted there. The building is presently owned by the Shelburne Historical Society.

Source: Town of Shelburne, Heritage file, no. 8, Shelburne, Nova Scotia.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of Cox's Warehouse relating to its Greek Revival style include:

- three-and-a-half storey wood frame construction;
- granite block foundation;
- symmetrical three bay front façade;
- medium pitched gable roof;
- return eaves with support brackets;
- moderate cornerboards;
- window display area flanked by decorative moulded panels;
- recessed entry;
- Doric capitals support front entablature;
- additional gable and two gabled dormers on the west side;
- three gabled dormers on the east side;
- prominent location on Dock Street.