Description of Historic Place

Halliburton House is a three storey building located on an L-shaped lot on Morris Street between Barrington and Hollis Streets in Downtown Halifax. The house was constructed in 1823 in the Georgian style; however in the late 1800s it was remodelled and now has elements of the Second Empire style. Presently this municipally registered heritage building is one of three structures that operate as the Halliburton House Inn. The heritage designation applies to the building and the surrounding land it occupies.

Heritage Value

Halliburton House is valued for its association with the development of the South End of Halifax. The South End Halifax became fashionable when Governor John Wentworth began building Government House at the turn of the nineteenth century. As a result other government officials began to build residences in the area. Like many large houses built in the early 1800s that often became too large for one family to manage, Hallibutorn House was altered to function as two townhouses. The division occurred in the1890s at which time a brick façade and dormers in fashionable proportions were added to the structure.

Halliburton House is also valued for its association with its original occupant, Sir Brenton Halliburotn. Halliburton held numerous influential government appointments including: Judge of the Supreme Court; Assistant Judge to the Supreme Court; Master of Chancery; and Chief Justice and member of the governing council. In 1835 he presided over the famed libel trial of newspaper publisher Joseph Howe. He was knighted in 1859 and died in 1860. Upon his death his son John took over the house that remained in the Halliburton family until John's death in 1884.

Architecturally, Halliburton House is valued as an example of Georgian and Second Empire styles. The original style of the house was Georgian and is evident in the three storey stone construction, symmetrical three bay façade with central entrance with a large entablature above the entrance featuring dentil, and three dormer windows in the third story. Halliburton House was remodelled in to two townhouses in 1892, at which time numerous Second Empire style elements were added, including the distinctive mansard roof.

Source: HRM Heritage Property File: 5184 Morris Street, Halliburton House, found at HRM Planning and Development Services, 6960 Mumford Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Halliburton House related to its Georgian style include:

- three dormers in balanced proportions;
- fanlight in central double dormer;
- central doorway;
- three bay facade;
- three storey construction;
- pediments;
- stone construction.

The character-defining elements of Halliburton House related to is Second Empire style include:

- mansard roof;
- arched windows;
- full length single sash windows on first and second storey;
- brick veneer facade.