Description of Historic Place

Jost House is a small Gothic Revival clapboard home, built in the mid nineteenth century on Fox Street, between Cornwallis and Duke Streets in Old Town, Lunenburg, NS. The most prominent features are the two large front Gothic dormers and the situation of the house, which is built right to the streetline on a slight slope. Under the local Heritage By-Law, the building and land are designated a Municipal Heritage Property.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Jost House is lies in its Gothic Revival architecture, which is otherwise not represented in Lunenburg to this extent. A 1864 deed records the sale of the house by the Lutheran Church to Alexander Jost, a Lunenburg mariner. It is not certain whether the house was used as a manse and its exact age is unknown. For most of the twentieth century Jost House was owned by local photographer Lewis Hirtle and his heirs.

The design of this house is also valued as it is unique in Lunenburg and has retained nearly all its original features. The clapboard siding, symmetry and fieldstone foundation together with the horizontal composition of the house give it a sense of solidity and charm that separates it from its neighbours. Local names for the house include 'Gingerbread House' and 'Mystery House', which signify the unique appearance of the house in Lunenburg.

Source: Notice of Recommendation to Register as a Town Heritage Property, Heritage Designation File 66400-40-54, Town of Lunenburg.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of this home are related to its Gothic Revival design, which is unusual in Lunenburg, and includes elements such as:
- symmetrical appearance, derived from the central front entrance and window placement;
- gable roof, with prominent steep Gothic dormers on the front façade;
- six-over-six windows, and a small lancet window on each dormer;
- clapboard siding and fieldstone foundation, which together with the low height of the building give a sense of solidity;
- location close to the streetline.