Shand House Museum facts for kids
![]() Shand House Museum
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Established | 1948 |
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Location | 389 Avon Street Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada |
Type | Heritage Building |
The Shand House Museum is a special place in Windsor, Nova Scotia. It's part of the Nova Scotia Museum and shows what life was like over 130 years ago! This beautiful house was built in 1890-91 for a family named Clifford and Henrie Shand.
It's a great example of a "Queen Anne Revival" style home. This means it has lots of fancy details and decorations, many of which were made by machines back then. What's really cool is that most of the original furniture, dishes, artwork, toys, photos, and books from the Shand family are still inside. It's like stepping back in time!
Discover the Shand House Museum
The Shand House Museum is a unique historical building. It helps us understand how people lived in Nova Scotia in the 1890s. It's not just about the Shand family, but about the architecture, economy, and social life of that time.
Inside a Victorian Home
When the Shand House was built, it had some very modern features for its time. It had indoor plumbing, central heating, and even electric lights! These were very new and exciting things back in the 1890s. Many of the furniture pieces you see inside were made right nearby. They came from the Windsor Furniture Factory.
Meet the Shand Family
Clifford Shand was a local businessman. He was also very keen on bicycles! This was during the "bicycle craze" of the 1890s, when bicycles became super popular. You can see many photos and trophies in the house that show Clifford's cycling adventures.
Clifford's father, Andrew P. Shand, was part-owner of the Windsor Furniture Factory. Craftsmen from this factory made much of the furniture for the house. They also created the beautiful decorations you can still see inside. Clifford's wife, Henrie, was an artist. Many of her paintings are displayed throughout the home.
Only four people ever lived in this house: Clifford and Henrie, and their two children, Errol and Gwendolyn. Gwendolyn Shand lived in the house for many years. She later gave it to the Nova Scotia Museum. The house officially opened as a museum in 1985.