Uniacke Estate Museum Park facts for kids
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| Location | Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia |
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| Type | Heritage house museum |
Uniacke Estate Museum Park is a special historic home and large property in Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia. It was once the country home of Richard John Uniacke, an important person in Nova Scotia's history. This beautiful estate is now part of the Nova Scotia Museum system, which means it's preserved for everyone to visit and learn from.
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A Glimpse into History
The Uniacke Estate was built as a country retreat for Richard John Uniacke. He was Nova Scotia's Attorney-General, a top legal official, during the War of 1812. The estate is located along what was known as the "Post Road." This was the main road between the cities of Halifax and Windsor a long time ago.
Richard John Uniacke's Dream
The story goes that Richard John Uniacke first saw this beautiful spot in 1776. At that time, he was being taken to Halifax. He was involved in a conflict and later cleared. He saw the lovely lake and hillside and decided that one day he would build his home right there.
After his career became successful, he bought the land for his estate. Building the main house started in 1813 and was finished by 1818. Even though he had a house in Halifax, Mr. Uniacke spent most of his time at this estate. He lived and entertained guests here until he passed away in 1830.
The Estate Through the Years
The Uniacke family kept the house for many years, with very few changes. In 1949, the Nova Scotia government bought the property. It was then carefully restored to look as it did in the past. The estate first opened to the public as a museum on June 2, 1952.
Today, you can visit the house during certain seasons. Inside, you'll see how people lived long ago. There's even a tea room where you can relax. The entire estate, with its many trails, is open all year round. These trails help you explore the historic landscape of the park. You can even walk on a preserved part of the old Halifax to Windsor road, which was used by stagecoaches!
Historic Portraits
Inside the Uniacke house, you can see many old paintings called portraits. These portraits belonged to the Uniacke family and were painted by famous American artists of that time.
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Richard John Uniacke by Robert Field
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Susannah (Boutineau) Franklin (1762) by John Singleton Copley (wife of Michael Franklin)
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Susannah Boutineau by Robert Feke (1748), (mother-in-law of Michael Franklin)
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Alicia Uniacke (daughter of Richard John Uniacke) by Robert Field (painter)
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Richard John Uniacke, Jr. (son of Richard John Uniacke) by Robert Field (painter)
- The portraits of the Francklins came to Nova Scotia with the newly married couple in 1762. They stayed in the province until 1927.
- Michael's portrait was bought for the Nova Scotia Museum in 1982.
- The two portraits were brought back together at Uniacke House when Susanna's portrait was acquired in 2004.
- There is also a portrait of James Boutineau by Robert Feke from 1748. He was Michael Franklin's father-in-law.
See also
- List of oldest buildings in Canada
