Description of Historic Place

Selig House is a one-and-a-half storey Cape Cod home is situated close to the road at the corner of Cornwallis and York Streets in Lunenburg's Old Town Heritage Conservation District, in Lunenburg, NS. Its proportions and horizontal composition make it appear low and solid in the surrounding streetscape. Designation applies to both the building and surrounding property.

Heritage Value

Selig House is considered to have heritage value due to its age, architectural style and assocation with the Selig family. The house is an archetypal one-and-a-half storey Cape Cod in design and proportion and retains many of its original features, including a virutally intact interior, large central chimney, and central door with balanced windows.

The property is associated with James R. Selig, who acquired the property in 1870. Selig was a blacksmith, and is still locally remembered for the ox-bells that he fabricated. Like many older Lunenburg homes, the house stayed in one family for many years.

Source: Heritage Designation File 66400-40-45, Town of Lunenburg.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the Selig House relate to the design of the house, derived from the Cape Cod tradition, and include:

- symmetrical construction around a massive central chimney, with horizontal composition;
- steeply pitched roof with low eaves and a small overhang;
- central doorway, with windows balanced on either side, and small, six-over-six windows on all sides;
- lack of a setback from the streetline, which is typical of early Lunenburg homes;
- 'coulisse' construction technique, all secured with wooden pegs or handmade iron nails;
- original fireplace and bake oven in the basement, and some main floor fireplaces, still connected to the central chimney.