Description of Historic Place

Thorndean is a three storey Georgian residence that was erected in 1835 and is located in the South End neighbourhood of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The heritage designation applies to the building and the land it occupies.

Heritage Value

Thorndean is valued for its historic association with former occupants John Tremaine, James Forman and John Maclean. Thorndean is also valued for its Georgian architecture.

Historic Value

Thorndean was built in 1835 for John Tremaine, a merchant and Loyalist who came to Halifax in 1785 to escape the American Revolution. Tremaine sold the house to James Forman, who was the first cashier at the Bank of Nova Scotia. In 1870 Forman was discovered to have embezzled over $300,000 from the bank during the twenty-five years he worked there. To repay the bank Forman signed over Thorndean and all its contents to be auctioned. The estate was purchased by John S. Maclean, a Halifax merchant and ship owner, and at the time the president of the Bank of Nova Scotia. He lived at Thorndean until his death in 1898. The house was again sold by auction.

Architectural Value

Architecturally, Thorndean is valued as an example of Georgian style combined with other local traditional elements, such as Scottish dormers. The house has a gable wall with two windows, Greek Revival front door remodelled in 1860, and a two storey west wing remodelled in Italianate style sometime between 1870 and 1880. The house has stone block sides and wood façade with wood details. Thorndean features a five bay balance with nice proportions. The property is surrounded by a wrought iron fence that has spear heads between granite block pillars and a stone wall.

Source: HRM Heritage Property File 5680 Inglis Street, Thorndean, found at HRM Planning and Development Services, Heritage Property Program, 6960 Mumford Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Thorndean include:

- all original and historic Georgian style elements;
- Scottish dormers and stone gable wall with two windows;
- Greek Revival front door;
- Italianate two storey west wing;
- three storeys and five bays;
- square corner columns on the front elevation;
- fan light detail in front central gable detail;
- stone block sidewalls and wood facade with wood details;
- symmetrical façade with central entrance transom and side lights on the main door;
- drop detail below the eave on front center gable;
- two chimneys one on either side the house;
- plain details on the eaves and fascia;
- two additional skylights in the roof;
- four six-over-six windows with shutters on the façade;
- wrought iron fence with spear heads between granite block pillars and a stone wall.