Description of Historic Place

Haus Treuburg Inn is centrally located on Main Street in Port Hood, Inverness County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. This Queen Anne Revival style inn is now operated as a country inn. The house and surrounding property are included in the designation.

Heritage Value

Haus Treuburg Inn is valued for its architectural features as well as being a symbol of the prosperity Port Hood enjoyed during its heyday at the turn of the last century – a time when Port Hood prospered due to the fishing and mining industries and when it served as a business centre for the surrounding areas.

The house was constructed for local merchant Roderick “Rory” MacDougall (1874 – 1932) circa 1914 by Port Hood contractor Alex C. Gillis with foreman Alex MacDonell. Rory was a prosperous merchant who built a general store at the “Corner” in Port Hood circa 1900. He also operated a livery stable, a taxi service and was a partner in the North Bay Steamship Company. As well, he sold coffins and provided the local hearse for Port Hood residents.

At the time of the construction of Rory’s house, the town of Port Hood (incorporated as a town in 1903) had grown considerably. Coal mining had brought a great deal of prosperity and also attracted a variety of workers to the town. Doctors, lawyers and other professionals settled in Port Hood. The town supported a number of hotels and four churches, had several sports teams and a brass band. Railway service and steamship kept Port Hood connected to the wider world and there was even a local paper printed – The Port Hood Greetings. As well, electricity was installed in Port Hood in the early 1900s. Several lobster canneries, a meat packing plant, a bottle making plant, a tannery and other smaller businesses made Port Hood a very busy and prosperous place.

Rory MacDougall’s house is a symbol of this prosperity. The two-and-a-half storey house has a two-storey bay and full verandah in front. Several gables project from a hip roof and though simplified, there is an air of dignity and variety in the use of bay windows, gables and asymmetrical floor plan. Interior wood work – original – and a finely crafted stairway greets visitors at foyer. It has a gracious solid look without being too grand.

Source: Municipality of the County of Inverness, Municipal Heritage Files, Haus Treuburg

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements Haus Treuburg Inn related to its Queen Anne Revival style include:
- two-and-a-half storey wood construction;
- two-storey bay;
- full verandah;
- hip roof with dormers;
- bay windows;
- pediments.