Description of Historic Place

Sir Frederick Borden Residence National Historic Site of Canada is a large, Queen Anne Revival-style house set in a park-like setting in Canning, Nova Scotia.

Heritage Value

The Sir Frederick Borden Residence National Historic Site of Canada was designated in 1990 because it is a particularly good example of the Queen Anne Revival style as expressed in domestic architecture.

The heritage value of this site resides in its material expression of the Queen Anne Revival style, particularly in the successful aesthetic composition of fanciful forms, asymmetrical massing and polychromatic surfaces characteristic of its style. Entirely clad in shingle, the Sir Frederick Borden Residence represents an American variation of the Queen Anne Revival style, the 'shingle style', often used for domestic buildings in the Maritime provinces.

The house was built in 1864 and renovated in the Queen Anne Revival style in 1902 by the firm of Harris and Horton, architects (William Critchlow Harris and William T. Horton) to serve as the home of politician Sir Frederick Borden.

Sources: HSMBC Minutes, November 1990, June 1994.

Character-Defining Elements

Key features contributing to the heritage value of this site include:

- the horizontal massing comprised of varied, picturesquely shaped elements, focussed on a broad, central gable,
- the full-length verandah along the façade with its projecting, conical roof at the corner,
- the enclosed, corner tower under a conical roof,
- the mix of eclectic features inspired by medieval and early Renaissance architecture (circular tower, tower-like porch end, eyebrow window, and flattened arches),
- the contrasting textures of its shingle cladding, smooth wood trim and carved vergeboard,
- the varied forms of fenestration,
- the central interior stair hall with a fireplace and inglenook,
- its spacious, well-treed setting.