Description of Historic Place

Located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Cossit House is a one-and-one-half storey wood framed residential building with a gable roof, central hall floor plan, and central masonry chimney. Both the building and the surrounding property are included in the provincial heritage designation.

Heritage Value

Historical Value

Built in 1787, Cossit House is believed to be the oldest surviving house in Sydney and possibly one of the oldest extant buildings on Cape Breton Island. Cossit House is valued for its association with Reverend Ranna Cossit, a Loyalist and one of the founding settlers of Sydney. Cossit was the first Protestant minister assigned to Cape Breton and he played a key role in the political and social development of the colony of Cape Breton Island.

Architectural Value

Cossit House is an unornamented wood framed Neo-classical house. Built on a rubble stone foundation, and has a gable roof with features common to similar structures of its period throughout Nova Scotia. Having had many owners, the house has been through several renovations over the years; however it has since been restored to its 1787-1800 period, the years that Rev. Cossit and his family lived in the house.

The house is now open to the public seasonally as a museum.

Source: Nova Scotia Provincial Registry, Heritage Property Program, file no.010.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the exterior of Cossit House include:

- building form and massing of the Neo-classical style;
- rubble stone foundation;
- gable roof;
- six-over-six wooden windows;
- small six pane arrangement windows on upper storey.

Character-defining elements of the interior of Cossit House include:

- basic structure and layout of central hall plan;
- paneled walls of front hall.