Description of Historic Place

The property registered as Captain Cheney’s Homestead is a two storey, wooden Queen Anne style home that stands along the main road leading to the public wharf in Little River on Digby Neck. While at one time part of a larger homestead, the heritage designation is limited to the building only.

Heritage Value

Built in 1910 during the peak of coastal trading, the homestead is valued for its association with the well-known coastal trader Captain Darryl Cheney and is the only Queen Anne style home in Little River. With its exterior splendor and luxurious interior finishes, the property is a fine example of how prosperous the fishing and coastal trading industry was in the early parts of the twentieth century. Captain Cheney was a successful merchant who traded fish on American and Maritime markets.

Source: Built Heritage Inventory, Office of the Municipality of the District of Digby.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements associated with the style of the home include:
- building form and massing of the Queen Anne style home;
- conical roof atop a cylindrical tower;
- pediments with fan windows;
- two floor bay windows;
- two-sided balcony;
- mahogany millwork throughout the interior.