Description of Historic Place

Captain William Smith House is a two-storey Victorian wooden building located on Lincoln Street in Old Town, a designated heritage district in Lunenburg, NS. Built in 1880, the house is located close to the street line without much surrounding property, and has a prominent central 'Lunenburg Bump'. Designation extends to the building and surrounding property.

Heritage Value

The Captain William Smith House's heritage value lies in its architectural features and contribution to the streetscape, as it is an outstanding example of vernacular Lunenburg architecture. The building retains most of its original features and is ornamented by detailed woodwork on each façade, especially where it faces the street. It is an excellent example of the height of Victorian architecture in Lunenburg, with many vernacular features including a prominent central, bell cast 'Lunenburg bump.'

The house is also valued for its interesting history; its original location was about one block away (what is now 197 Pelham Street), where it was built for Captain William Smith. In 1922 Freeman Smith purchased the house and in 1931 he moved it to its present location.

Source: Heritage Designation File 66400-40-38, Town of Lunenburg.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-Defining elements of the Captain William Smith House relate to its vernacular Lunenburg architecture and includes:

- the building's close proximity to the street ands neighbours, and its overall appearance of symmetry;
- central dormer, known locally as a 'Lunenburg bump', with fretsawn gingerbread on its lower edge over the main door and rectangular porch
- two-over-two windows have original entablatures and bracketing;
- lintels on all windows, retaining original scrollwork;
- steep gable roof, with two symmetrically placed chimneys, and a bell cast roof on the central dormer;
- clapboard siding, with wide, bracketed corner boards, and paneled trim under the dormer windows;
- rectangular transom and sidelight windows on the main door.