Prescott House Museum facts for kids
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Established | 1971 |
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Location | 1633 Starr's Point Road, Starr's Point, Nova Scotia Canada |
Type | National Historic Site of Canada |
The Prescott House Museum is a special old house and beautiful gardens in Starr's Point, Nova Scotia. It's part of the Nova Scotia Museum system. This amazing house was built between 1812 and 1816 by a man named Charles Ramage Prescott. He called his country home Acacia Grove. It's one of the best examples of Georgian style houses in all of Canada.
Contents
History of Prescott House
Who was Charles Ramage Prescott?
Charles Prescott was a very rich merchant from Halifax, Nova Scotia. He bought the land for his estate in 1811. This was after he decided to retire early from his busy shipping and trading business.
Acacia Grove: A Place for Experiments
Prescott used his new home, Acacia Grove, to try out new ideas in farming. He brought in many different kinds of plants. He was especially interested in apple varieties. He freely shared these new apple trees with other farmers in the area.
Changes Over the Years
Charles Prescott passed away in 1859. The Kaye family bought the house and took care of it for many years. But later owners didn't look after the house well. By the 1890s, it started to fall apart.
In 1931, Mary Allison Prescott bought the property. She was Charles Prescott's great-granddaughter. She worked hard to fix up the house. She lived there with her two sisters until 1970. In 1971, they gave the house to the Province of Nova Scotia.
Important Designations
The house became a National Historic Site of Canada in 1969. This means it's a very important historical place for the whole country. It's also a Provincially Registered Property under Nova Scotia's Heritage Property Act. This protects it as a special heritage site in the province.
Visiting the Museum
What You Can See and Learn
The Prescott House is now a museum. It's run by the Nova Scotia Museum system. When you visit, you can learn about Charles Prescott's life. You'll also discover more about Georgian architecture, which is the style of the house. The museum also teaches about the apple industry and the lives of the Prescott sisters.
Exploring the Rooms
The rooms inside the house have been fully restored. Some rooms show what the house looked like during Charles Prescott's Georgian period. Other rooms show how it looked in the 1930s and 1940s. This was when the Prescott sisters lived there and restored it.
When to Visit and What to Do
The museum is open from May to October. You can take guided tours of the historical rooms. The museum also has many events for families and children. These events help visitors learn about the house and its beautiful gardens in a fun way.