Description of Historic Place

Lithgow House is a two-and-a-half storey Halifax House style house located on Morris Street between Barrington and Hollis Streets in the South End of Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is similar in form and massing to other residential buildings nearby. Presently this municipally registered heritage building is one of three properties that form the Halliburton House Inn. The heritage designation applies to the building and the surrounding land it occupies.

Heritage Value

Lithgow House is valued for its association with its original occupant. Built in 1870, it was the last house built on the block and is named for James R. Lithgow who was an accountant, realtor, and developer. Lithgow was the bookkeeper for the influential shipping firm of J. A. Moren and in the 1890s became President-Manager of the Glace Bay Mining Company. Lithgow acquired and developed several properties in the South End of Halifax. He lived in this house first from 1873 to 1881 and again from 1893 until his death in 1907.

Architecturally, Lithgow House is valued as an example of the Halifax House style, a term that has been locally accepted and applied to a style of home that was common between 1820 and 1900 in Halifax. Lithgow House exhibits many of the accepted traits of this style including a symmetrical three bay façade with a side hall plan and is deep from front to back. Like many Halifax Houses, Lithgow house as a truncated gable roof with central Scottish dormer and bracketed eaves. The side hall plan entrance is a couple of steps above the street with sidelights and a transom light surrounded by wooden entablature and pilasters. A Halifax House usually has a smooth brick surface; however Lithgow House is sheathed in wood clapboard with corner trim.

Source: HRM Heritage Property File: 5172 Morris Street, Lithgow House, found at HRM Planning and Development Services, Heritage Property Program, 6960 Mumford Road, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of Lithgow House relate to is Halifax House style and include:

- three bay façade;
- side hall plan;
- deep from front to back;
- truncated gable roof;
- central Scottish dormer;
- bracketed eaves;
- entrance with sidelights and a transom light;
- wooden entablature and pilasters surrounds entrance;
- round headed second storey windows;
- flat headed hooded windows with brackets on first storey;
- all windows surrounded by wood trim;
- wood clapboard with corner trim.