Nova Scotia Archives
Built Heritage Resource Guide
Building Materials - Wood, Brick and Stone
On Sunday 5 April 1891, census enumerators spread out across Nova Scotia to collect the data needed to compile the federal census for that year. The specific moment in time that they captured that early spring day included valuable insight into the province's building stock.
The population for the province in 1891 totalled 450,396 individuals; they occupied 78,433 houses; and the majority of those structures were wood-framed:
- 77,955 (99.4%) wood-frame
- 257 (0.3%) brick
- 154 (0.2%) stone
- 67 (0.1%) building material not identified.
The statistical details printed in the Census of Canada 1890-91 provided additional information on the province’s homes by identifying the total number of rooms in each house:
- 785 (1.0%) 1 room
- 4,204 (5.4%) 2 rooms
- 6,622 (8.4%) 3 rooms
- 12,041 (15.4%) 4 rooms
- 10,159 (12.9%) 5 rooms
- 39,349 (50.2%) 6-10 rooms
- 4,446 (5.8%) 11-15 rooms
- 657 (0.9%) 16 or more rooms
Of the total number of dwelling-houses, 3,144(4.0%) were currently uninhabited and 1,225 (1.6%) were under construction. The majority of homes had 6-10 rooms, with smaller houses of 1-5 rooms following close behind.
"Very Old Log House"
Date: 1935
Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Photo Collection: Places: Bedford: Ternan Property, #4
Front View of "Very Old Log House"
Date: 1935
Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Photo Collection: Places: Bedford: Ternan Property, #3
"The Early Scotch Settlers"
Date: May 30, 1896
Reference: Morrison PapersNova Scotia Archives MG 1 vol. 706 no. 40
Petition of W.K. Reynolds and Others, Owners of Stone and Brick Buildings in Halifax
Date: 4 March 1820
Reference: Legislative Assembly of Nova ScotiaNova Scotia Archives RG 5 Series P vol. 1 no. 70
"The Almon House, at the S.W. [South West] Corner of Argyle & Prince Streets, Halifax, NS"
Date: 10 May 1928
Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Photo Collection: Places: Halifax: Houses: Almon
"Hollis Street - Looking North from Sackville"
Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Library: F107 H13 H83g
"Lenoir Building at 1663 Hollis Street, Built in 1816, One of the Oldest Commercial Buildings in Halifax"
Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Library: V/F Vol. 119 no. 24
"Quarry Wallace"
Date: 1930s
Photographer: Clara Dennis
Reference: Clara DennisNova Scotia Archives accession no. 1983-468 no. 155
"Quarry, Wallace, NS"
Date: 1930s
Photographer: Clara Dennis
Reference: Clara DennisNova Scotia Archives accession no. 1983-468 no. 158
"Quarry at Wallace"
Date: 1930s
Photographer: Clara Dennis
Reference: Clara DennisNova Scotia Archives accession no. 1983-468 no. 159
"Stone House at Middle River"
Date: 1930s
Photographer: Clara Dennis
Reference: Clara DennisNova Scotia Archives accession no. 1981-541 no. 662
"Old Stone House, Avondale, NS"
Date: ca. 1963
Reference: Nova Scotia Archives Photo Collection: Places: Avondale Road: Houses: Old Stone
"House of Beach Stones at Pembroke Intervale, Yarmouth, NS, near Chegoggin"
Date: 1930s
Photographer: Clara Dennis
Reference: Clara DennisNova Scotia Archives accession no. 1981-541 no. 456
"Old Smyth House, Port Hood, Cape Breton"
Date: 1930s
Photographer: Clara Dennis
Reference: Clara DennisNova Scotia Archives accession no. 1981-541 no. 10
Sperry Gyroscope Company of Canada, 1684 Lower Water Street, Halifax, NS
Date: ca. 1967
Photographer: M.E.B. Martin
Reference: Heritage Trust of Nova ScotiaNova Scotia Archives accession no. 1982-560 no. 35