Description of Historic Place

The Benjamin B. Porter House is a one-and-a-half storey Gothic Revival style house built around 1837 for, and probably by, Benjamin B. Porter, a farmer. It is located in the rural community of Cedar Lake, near Port Maitland, Nova Scotia. The municipal heritage designation applies to the land and the building.

Heritage Value

The Benjamin B. Porter House is valued for its association with rural farm life and the Porter family, as well as for its Gothic Revival architecture, a traditional style of many Nova Scotian farmsteads.

From the time it was built, circa 1837, this home has been the farmstead of the Benjamin B. Porter family, beginning with Benjamin B. Porter and continuing through several generations. The deed for the original lot made out to Porter was dated Dec. 13, 1821, when he was a lad of eleven years of age. It appears that his father provided the purchase price at that time, and that young Benjamin started clearing the land at about the time the deed was registered in 1832. Throughout its history its owners have farmed the land and worked the woods, a family tradition that continues to this day. The property has remained in the family and is presently owned by a sixth generation descendant of Benjamin B. Porter.

The Gothic Revival style architecture of the Benjamin B. Porter House is evident in its front cross gable, its symmetrical three bay façade and its rectangular massing. There have been very few alterations to the original structure of the house which adds to its architectural value.

Source: Municipal Heritage Property files: the Benjamin B. Porter House; located at 400 Main Street, Yarmouth, NS.

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Benjamin B. Porter House include:

- location on a dirt road in a rural community;
- proximity to a lake;
- setback from the road;
- residential use.

The character-defining elements of the Gothic Revival style of the Benjamin B. Porter House include:

- one-and-a-half storeys;
- one storey back ell;
- medium pitched gable roof with a centred front cross gable, return eaves, an exterior end-wall chimney and a central chimney;
- central chimney on gabled ell roof;
- symmetrical three bay façade;
- centred enclosed front entry porch;
- double hung sash windows;
- wood construction;
- clapboard cladding on façade;
- shingle cladding on remainder of house;
- corner-board trim.