This successful layer cake
at 558 Main Street is the most photographed place on the main drag.
This home was built for George Alfred Westhaver in 1862 but at
the time it did not look anything like this! Westhaver bought the lot
for £150! Comparing old photographs with this one shows only
two differences. The chimney has been removed from the main house and
the windows were four-paned in 1925.
"...an extremely interesting example of Mahone Bay's unique gingerbread style." -Historian Ronald McDonald.
Actually there is only one which is a bit like this and strictly
speaking not much of this "stick decoration" classifies as
"gingerbread." In any event, there is not much "gingerbread" in the
village.
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This image of Main Street in
the 1880s is a detail, and was never intended to represent
the Westhaver house, but that is it at the corner of Main and
Pleasant streets looking southward. The house behind it belonged
Titus Langille and that to the left of the man's head is now a p[art o
the Mahone Bay Trading Company.
Nova Scotians were never quick to cotton to new styles in the building
trades and this little house was clearly a Neoclassic hold-over.
The restrained style of this building matched his commercial
shore buildings across the street. Westhaver bought the land from
Benjamin Tanner and considering his land transactions it is probably
fair that he contracted with him to build this house.
How can things change so much? George prospered! In1900 he raised the
roof, added a back ell, the dormers, new windows and verandas.
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Our Mahone Bay example comes close to
the prototype which is slightly more elaborate. An overhanging gable
which was a usual feature is missing from the Westhaver house, but this
is what it might have looked like had the owners cared enough to go the
whole nine yards. The gable end seen above exemplifies the fact
that this style could easily move beyond the bounds of decorative
common sense.
Nova Scotians may have been a bit too practical to opt for complete
redundancy although you will notice that they did add a second floor
completely useless balcony.. Also notice the terraced rooftop at left.
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