Westport, Nova Scotia
Sold / Archive From 2021
269 Water St, Westport, NS B0V 1H0
Map: Aerial
- 6 Bed
- 2 Bath
- 2724 Sq Ft
Mary Dixon, Re/Max Banner Real Estate :: 902-308-0298
Map: Aerial
Mary Dixon, Re/Max Banner Real Estate :: 902-308-0298
Hmm…checked the location. Population 218. It seems to be on Brier Island, an island accessible by ferry from the “mainland”. Ideal for the misanthropes among us.
Neat house with so much character. I wonder if what they call the “secret stairs’ were for the servants, whose quarters were in the attic? I also wonder what year this was built in?
The front door says some kind on ‘Inn” I wonder if it was a boarding house or a B and B at one time?
You see those winder stairs (closed staircase) in older houses of the 18th century. They helped keep the warm air downstairs better than an open stair hallway. They did come to be associated with servant use in later house designs (owners didn’t want guests to see the maid coming down the main stairs with stinky chamber pots in hand).
I have a question not just from this house, but other old houses I’ve seen: how expensive and/or how much of a pain is it to remove square acoustical tile ceilings and replace them with sheetrock?
This is a lovely house and all in all, appears to be in pretty good shape. Thanks for sharing it.
Some history for 269 Water St. in a 2008 listing for sale at $180,000:
“Offered is the Charles Jones house, located across the road from Westport Harbour. Charles and his brother Edward purchased the land for the house from Robert Morrell in 1815. Charles and Edward were partners in a prosperous business at Westport. Charles’ wharf store was directly across the road from this house. The Jones family was arguably the wealthiest Loyalist family in the County of Digby … Charles’ and Edward’s father was Loyalist Josiah Jones (son of Hon. Elisha Jones of Weston, Massachussets). (See Digby’s excel- lent Municipal Heritage site www.westerncounties.ca/ digby for further information.)
The 2-1/2 storey colonial style house was built in 1816. It features six fireplaces, two massive chimneys (each with four flues), six bedrooms and curving narrow back stairs leading to servants’ bedrooms on the third floor. There is a 9-ft. brick hearth with 6-ft. fireplace in the original kitchen, complete with beehive Dutch oven. The house has exposed beams in one room and many features such as original doors and locks and bubble glass in some of the older inside windows.
The house is insulated; storm windows are wooden. One wall has new shingles; the other three sides were re-shingled within the last 20 years, as was the roof. There are two full baths, one with tub, one with shower. Large attic for storage space. There is a 20×60 ft. shop in the backyard and also a 20×40 foot in-ground swimming pool (needs new liner). Included in the sale are over 9,000 used books now listed on the Internet and shelved in several of the rooms in the house.”
….
Caroline Norwood was the proprietor of Brier Island Books, located in the house. Her obituary describes a truly full life.
https://www.middletonfuneralhome.com/obituary/caroline-norwood
Totally excellent wide-board horizontal sheathing at top of stair still in original blue-green paint. And look at that faceted head of the newell post in the same shot (28) with the lamb’s tongue stops at the bottom, as well as the beading on the rails. Beautiful work, all original. And the late-date six-panel door in shot 26 shows some spillover French influence. Nice original chair rails in same shot. Original floors, chimneys. A very worthy preservation (not restoration) candidate because it is unusually intact. Good find.
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