Description of Historic Place

77 Edgewater Street is a one-and-a-half storey wood-frame residence built in the Lunenburg House style. It is part of a group of heritage properties lining Edgewater Street, one of the main routes entering Mahone Bay, NS. Built circa 1874 on the narrow street frontage of a large lot extending to the street behind, the house is tucked between the Anglican and Lutheran churches. There is a kitchen ell extending to the rear.

Municipal Heritage Designation includes the land and building located at 77 Edgewater Street.

Heritage Value

77 Edgewater Street is valued for its importance as part of a group of heritage properties; for its age and association with the history of Mahone Bay; and, as an example of the vernacular building style known as “Lunenburg House” in which a two-storey five-sided dormer is predominately featured.

77 Edgewater is one of eight heritage properties set prominently along the main road at the head of the harbour. It is the only Lunenburg style house in the Edgewater Street heritage grouping. Collectively these houses, churches and cemetery are a significant representation of aspects of Mahone Bay’s early history from mid - 1700’s to the early twentieth century. This property retains the boundaries defined in the 1860 plan of division of John Mader’s large property bought from the heirs of George Zwicker who had once owned the complete Maughers Mill Grant.

The house at 77 Edgewater was built circa 1874 by Augustus Joudrey amidst Mahone Bay's rising economic fortunes. Shipbuilding, fishing, lumbering and commerce were thriving and the population growing. Augustus Joudrey, a blacksmith, was Mahone Bay’s first police officer. In 1871, Joudrey had bought the school house on the shore across the road when the student population had outgrown it. The school house became his blacksmith shop; the proximity of home and workshop was typical of commercial activity at the time. The house remained in the Joudrey family for over one-hundred years.

77 Edgewater Street is the only Lunenburg House style home at the head of the harbour. Its embellishments reflect changing styles and prosperity. Such details as heavily molded window hoods and protruding bracketed cornices create a powerful presence. Despite its location between two imposing churches, the home’s strong features demand that it be noticed.

Source: Town of Mahone Bay, Heritage File #MBHG014

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of 77 Edgewater Street relate to its contribution to the Edgewater Street grouping of heritage properties, and to all its Lunenburg House features, and include the following:

- location within a group of eight heritage properties on Edgewater Street;
- raised site on one-layer terrace set back from street overlooking the harbour;
- one-and-a-half storey solid wood frame construction with medium pitched gable ends;
- two-over-two windows with elaborate hood moldings and fretwork, and decorative panels under the lower windows;
- “Lunenburg Bump” comprised of five-sided Scottish dormer with round-topped windows stacked over a slightly larger five-sided enclosed entry, the graduated stack giving impression of solidity;
- wooden cladding with shingle on two sides and clapboard on two sides including the front, it being a common practice to use bought clapboard on the public sides of the house while using hand-made shingle for the less public sides;
- brackets at top of protruding corner pilasters, under eaves and under window hoods;
- molding on water board at base of cladding.

Interior character-defining elements include:

- well preserved original floor-plan;
- intricate moldings in entry hall with plainer moldings in private rooms;
- central staircase with simple handrail and newel post, ample landing;
- upper hallway well-lit by windows of Lunenburg Bump;
- small kitchen ell with second stairway.