Description of Historic Place

The Cossar Farm Site is a thriving commercial orchard on the banks of the Saint John River at Lower Gagetown. It has always been of considerable size and is reputed to be some of the best farm land in the area.

Heritage Value

The Cossar Farm Site is designated a Local Historic Place for its association with pre-Loyalist settlement and for its continuous agricultural use. The land was granted to General Thomas Gage in the latter third of the 18th century. It is significant that he actually lived in a splendid pre-Loyalist house here. Images of this house are extant, for it existed here until 1929 when it burned. The current Dutch Colonial residence was constructed in 1930 by Dr. Cossar. For about a hundred years this land was farmed by a Scot, George Fox, and his descendents. In 1910 another Scot, Dr. George Cossar of Glasgow, was visiting in the Saint John River valley and was charmed and delighted by the wonderful scenic arable farm land in this spot. He purchased a large tract of it immediately and began his Canadian farm. Cossar began to introduce modern farming practices and expanded the apple orchards there, as well as beginning a herd of dual purpose Shorthorn cattle. But probably he is best remembered for his practice of bringing Scottish boys from difficult financial circumstances to his farm where they lived and learned Canadian farming practices. Then they went on to work on other farms, many becoming farmers themselves. The Cossar Farm operated until sometime in the 1940’s and, after a period of limited activity, it was purchased in 1954 by the Nova Scotia orchardist, A. R. Stirling. It has been in their family ever since. Some of the outbuildings that exist today were there in Cossar’s time.

Source: Queens County Heritage Archives – Gagetown Historic Places files

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements relating to the Cossar Farm Site include:
- large well-managed apple orchard;
- various outbuildings of heritage interest;
- scenic location on banks of Saint John River;
- continued use for agricultural purposes;
- two-storey Dutch Colonial residence built in 1930.