The Naval Museum of Halifax (formerly Admiralty House and Maritime Command Museum) is a

Canadian Forces } The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Forc ...

museum located at

CFB Halifax Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Halifax is Canada's east coast naval base and home port to the Royal Canadian Navy Atlantic fleet, known as Canadian Fleet Atlantic (CANFLTLANT), that forms part of the formation Maritime Forces Atlantic (MARLANT). I ...

in the former official residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the

North America Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the t ...

(1819–1905). Also known as the "Admiralty House", the residence is a

National Historic Site of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...

located in

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...

, Canada. The museum collects, preserves and displays the artifacts and history of the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...

Admiralty House

Admiralty House served as the official summer residence of the admiral commanding the

North American Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the ...

of the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

from 1819 to 1905. Construction of the large

Palladian Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...

Style

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

house overlooking the Halifax Naval Yard began in 1814. Squadron commanders previously resided aboard a flagship moored at the Naval Yard. The house was completed in 1819 as the summer residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the

, with the squadron shifting its main base during the winter months from Halifax to the Royal Naval Dockyard in

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

(where a separate Admiralty House was maintained from 1795 to 1956). The first to live in the residence was Admiral David Milne. Admiral David Milne (1763-1845), by George Frederick Clarke

Admiral David Milne (1763-1845), by George Frederick Clarke

As the residence of one of the most important officials in Halifax, Admiralty House hosted many social and ceremonial events in the 19th century. One of the largest was a ball for 600 guests hosted by Admiral Thomas Cochrane, Earl of Dundonald, in 1848. Another famous resident of the house was Admiral

Francis Austen Admiral of the Fleet Sir Francis William Austen, (23 April 1774 – 10 August 1865) was a Royal Navy officer and an elder brother of the novelist Jane Austen. As commanding officer of the sloop HMS ''Peterel'', he captured some 40 ships, was ...

, brother of the famous novelist Jane Austen. In all, 36 admirals lived in the house, the last being Sir

Day Hort Bosanquet Admiral Sir Day Hort Bosanquet, (22 March 1843 – 28 June 1923) was a British politician and senior officer in the Royal Navy. He served as the Governor of South Australia from 18 February 1909 until 22 March 1914. Naval career Born in Alnwi ...

. Admiralty House was taken over by the Canadian government in 1905 as Canada took responsibility for the Halifax Dockyard from the British Royal Navy. In

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

it served as a naval hospital. The roof was blown in by the

Halifax Explosion On the morning of 6 December 1917, the French cargo ship collided with the Norwegian vessel in the waters of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The ''Mont-Blanc'', laden with high explosives, caught fire and exploded, devastating the Richmond ...

on December 6, 1917. Despite the damage, hospital staff, many of them injured themselves, treated many wounded in the house in the hours after the explosion. After repairs, the house was used as a clinic by the Massachusetts Halifax Relief Commission to assist survivors after the explosion. From 1925 to 1954 it became part of the

base HMCS ''Stadacona'', serving as a Wardroom Officer's Mess and later as office space. In 1961 it became the library for the

and provided classroom space.

Notable Admirals in Residence (1819–1905)

War of 1812

Two Admirals distinguished themselves during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...

: File:Frigate Winchester.jpg, Edward Colpoys's flagship, , re-established

New Ireland (Maine) New Ireland was a Crown colony of the Kingdom of Great Britain twice established in modern-day Maine after British forces captured the area during the American Revolutionary War and again during the War of 1812. The colony lasted four years duri ...

(1814); served at Halifax (1816–1821, 1830–1832) File:Rear-Admiral George Cockburn (1772-1853), by John James Halls.jpg,

Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet Admiral of the Fleet Sir George Cockburn, 10th Baronet, (22 April 1772 – 19 August 1853) was a British Royal Navy officer. As a captain he was present at the Battle of Cape St Vincent in February 1797 during the French Revolutionary Wars an ...

Burning of Washington The Burning of Washington was a British invasion of Washington City (now Washington, D.C.), the capital of the United States, during the Chesapeake Campaign of the War of 1812. It is the only time since the American Revolutionary War that a ...

(1814); served at Halifax (1832–36) File:HMS Vernon (1832).png, Cockburn's flagship in Halifax File:HMS Vernon, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, HMS ''Vernon'', Royal Navy Burial Ground

Siege of Sevastopol

Four of the Admirals fought in the renown

Siege of Sevastopol (1854–55) A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

during the

Crimean War The Crimean War, , was fought from October 1853 to February 1856 between Russia and an ultimately victorious alliance of the Ottoman Empire, France, the United Kingdom and Piedmont-Sardinia. Geopolitical causes of the war included the ...

: File:Admiral of the Fleet Sir Houston Stewart.JPG,

Houston Stewart Admiral of the Fleet Sir Houston Stewart, (3 August 1791 – 10 December 1875) was a Royal Navy officer and briefly a Liberal Party Member of Parliament. After serving as a junior officer in the Napoleonic Wars, Stewart became commanding officer ...

, served at Halifax (1856–60) File:Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield by Stephen Pearce.jpg,

Edward Augustus Inglefield Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield (27 March 1820 – 4 September 1894) was a Royal Navy officer who led one of the searches for the missing Arctic explorer John Franklin during the 1850s. In doing so, his expedition charted previously unexpl ...

, served in Halifax (1878–79) VCJohnEdmundCommerell.jpg,

John Edmund Commerell Admiral of the Fleet Sir John Edmund Commerell, (13 January 1829 – 21 May 1901) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer, he was present at the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado in November 1845 during the Uruguayan Civil War. He also took pa ...

, Commerell was awarded the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

for the Siege; served at Halifax (1882–85) File:HMS Northampton (1876).jpg, Commerell's flagship File:Algernon McLennan Lyons.JPG,

Algernon Lyons Admiral of the Fleet Sir Algernon McLennan Lyons (30 August 1833 – 9 February 1908) was a senior Royal Navy officer who served as First and Principal Naval Aide-de-Camp to Queen Victoria. Lyons also served as Commander-in-Chief, Pacific ...

, served at Halifax (1886–88) File:HMS Bellerophon (1865).jpg, Lyons' flagship in Halifax

Franklin's Lost Expedition

Two Admirals were involved in the search for

Franklin's Lost Expedition Franklin's lost expedition was a failed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845 aboard two ships, and , and was assigned to traverse the last unnavigated sect ...

: File:Sir Edward Augustus Inglefield by Stephen Pearce.jpg,

, served in Halifax (1878–79) File:Sir (Francis) Leopold McClintock by Stephen Pearce (2).jpg,

Francis McClintock Sir Francis Leopold McClintock (8 July 1819 – 17 November 1907) was an Irish explorer in the British Royal Navy, known for his discoveries in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. He confirmed explorer John Rae's controversial report gather ...

, served in Halifax (1879–82) File:HMS Northampton (1876).jpg, McClintock's flagship in Halifax

Other

File:FrancisAusten.jpg,

, brother of Jane Austen; served in Halifax (1844-1848) File:HMS Vindictive, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Austen's marker to commemorate the four that died on his flagship, –

Royal Navy Burying Ground (Halifax, Nova Scotia) The Royal Navy Burying Ground is part of the Naval Museum of Halifax and was the Naval Hospital cemetery for the North America and West Indies Station at Halifax, Nova Scotia. It is the oldest military burial ground in Canada. The cemetery has gra ...

(1846)Two stones; four crew (1845, 1846) File:Lord Cochrane 1807.jpg, The 10th Earl of Dundonald, inspiration for

Patrick O'Brian Patrick O'Brian, CBE (12 December 1914 – 2 January 2000), born Richard Patrick Russ, was an English novelist and translator, best known for his Aubrey–Maturin series of sea novels set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, and cent ...

's protagonist

Jack Aubrey John "Jack" Aubrey , is a fictional character in the Aubrey–Maturin series of novels by Patrick O'Brian. The series portrays his rise from lieutenant to rear admiral in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. The twenty (and one incomple ...

; served in Halifax (1848–51) File:HMS Wellesley, Royal Naval Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Cochrane's marker to commemorate the 11 that died on his flagship HMS ''Wellesley'',

, (1850) File:Admiral Alexander Milne (1808-1896), by Walter William Ouless.jpg, Alexander Milne, ''Trent'' Affair,

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

; served at Halifax (1860–64) File:HMS Nile, Royal Navy Burying Ground, Halifax, Nova Scotia.jpg, Milne's marker to commemorate the 16 that died on his flagship HMS ''Nile'' Monument,

, (1861) *

James Hope (Royal Navy officer) Admiral of the Fleet Sir James Hope, GCB (3 March 1808 – 9 June 1881) was a Royal Navy officer. As a captain he was present at the Battle of Vuelta de Obligado during the Uruguayan Civil War and then in the Baltic Sea during the Crimean War. ...

* Sir

George Wellesley Admiral Sir George Greville Wellesley (2 August 1814 – 6 April 1901) was a Royal Navy officer. As a junior officer he took part in the capture of Acre during the Oriental Crisis in 1840 and, as Captain of in the Baltic Fleet, he took part ...

(1869–70) (1873–75)

Museum

Admiralty House was officially opened as a museum on March 26, 1974, by Rear Admiral D. S. Boyle."Maritime Command Museum", Maritime Forces Atlantic, The Canadian Navy
The house was declared a National Historic Site in 1978. The museum underwent extensive renovations in 2009–2010. The focus is on the history of the Canadian Navy from 1910 to the present, along with the earlier history of the Halifax Dockyard. Highlights include the original bell and a large display of artifacts from HMCS ''Niobe'', the first flagship of the

, and a display of ship's bells and christening bells spanning the history of the Canadian Navy. More than 30 rooms of exhibits are open to the public as well as grounds which display weapons and equipment from the Canadian Navy. The collection consists of uniforms, model ships, medals, badges, ships' bells, armaments, and other equipment of naval life. The museum also maintains a research library, archives and large photograph collection.

Artifacts

File:Laverna Katie Dollimore.png,

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

medal of Laverna Katie Dollimore for the

Iran Hostage Crisis On November 4, 1979, 52 United States diplomats and citizens were held hostage after a group of militarized Iranian college students belonging to the Muslim Student Followers of the Imam's Line, who supported the Iranian Revolution, took over ...

(1979) File:HMS Namur.jpg, Reported to be HMS Namur

figurehead In politics, a figurehead is a person who ''de jure'' (in name or by law) appears to hold an important and often supremely powerful title or office, yet ''de facto'' (in reality) exercises little to no actual power. This usually means that they ...

File:Queens Steps, 1 Aug. 1959,Stadacona, CFB Halifax, Nova Scotia copy.jpg, This staircase is one of the few remaining landscape elements of Admiralty House's original grounds. Often confused with the "Queens Steps", this staircase can be traced through photographs in the Museum's archive back to the late 1800s.

Royal Navy Burying Ground

ShannonStadaconaHalifaxNovaScotiaCanada2

The Royal Navy Burying Ground at Halifax has monuments to those served and lost in the medical facility as a result of the capture of USS ''Chesapeake'' by HMS ''Shannon''. There are 84 grave markers, but as many as 500 people buried there. There was a tradition where the Commander and Chief of the

North America and West Indies Station The North America and West Indies Station was a formation or command of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy stationed in North American waters from 1745 to 1956. The North American Station was separate from the Jamaica Station until 1830 when the ...

who lived in Admiralty House created a grave marker for their crew who died while at the station.

Admiralty Garden

On the grounds of the Admiralty House is the Admiralty Garden which was created c. 1814 and has plaques and monuments displayed to honour Admirals and other military personnel. In 1972 the "Wall of Valour" was created to recognize the bravery decorations awarded to members of the Canadian Navy and the Naval Reserves. Those that are listen received:

Cross of Valour (Canada) The Cross of Valour (french: Croix de la vaillance) is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest award (surpassed only by the Victoria Cross), the highest honour available for Canadian civilians, and the hig ...

;

Star of Courage (Canada) The Star of Courage (french: Étoile du Courage) is a decoration that is the second highest award for bravery within the Canadian system of honours, and one of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations awarded by the Canadian monarch, generally thr ...

; and the

Medal of Bravery (Canada) The Medal of Bravery (french: Médaille de la Bravoure) is a decoration that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the third highest award for bravery, and one of the three Canadian Bravery Decorations gifted by the Canadian monarch, genera ...

. There are also plaques of

Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as bein ...

to commemorate the following Admirals: File:GeorgeAugustusWestphal.JPG, George Augustus Westphal -

Battle of Trafalgar The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (180 ...

File:Provo Wallis.jpg,

Provo Wallis Provo or Provos may refer to: In geography In the United States * Provo, Kentucky, an unincorporated community * Provo, South Dakota, an unincorporated community * Provo Township, Fall River County, South Dakota * Provo, Utah, a city ** Provo P ...

File:Sir Edward Belcher by Stephen Pearce.jpg,

Edward Belcher Admiral Sir Edward Belcher (27 February 1799 – 18 March 1877) was a British naval officer, hydrographer, and explorer. Born in Nova Scotia, he was the great-grandson of Jonathan Belcher, who served as a colonial governor of Massachusett ...

Franklin's lost expedition Franklin's lost expedition was a failed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain (Royal Navy), Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845 aboard two ships, and , and was assigned to traverse the last unnavigated sect ...

File:C E Kingsmill.jpg,

Charles Kingsmill Admiral Sir Charles Edmund Kingsmill, (7 July 1855 – 15 July 1935) was a Canadian-born naval officer and the first director of the Department of the Naval Service of Canada. After retiring from a career in the Royal Navy, he played a prominen ...

* George Edward Watts –

Philip Westphal Philip Westphal (178216 March 1880) was an admiral in the Royal Navy. He was designated a Person of National Historic Significance for Canada in 1945. Biography Philip Westphal was born in 1782, the son of George Westphal and younger brother of ...

–

Affiliations

The museum is part of a system of 55 museums run by the

Canadian Department of National Defence The Department of National Defence (DND; french: Ministère de la Défense nationale) is the department of the Government of Canada which supports the Canadian Armed Forces in its role of defending Canadian national interests domestically and i ...

. It is the largest naval museum within the system. The museum is also affiliated with the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) and works jointly with Nova Scotia's

Maritime Museum of the Atlantic The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a maritime museum located in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The museum is a member institution of the Nova Scotia Museum and is the oldest and largest maritime museum in Canada with a collection o ...

to present the naval history of the region.

Notes

References

External links

* {{Coord, 44, 39, 34.5, N, 63, 35, 33.5, W, display=title Naval museums in Canada Historic house museums in Nova Scotia Museums in Halifax, Nova Scotia Buildings and structures in Halifax, Nova Scotia Houses completed in 1819 Museums established in 1974 Georgian architecture in Canada National Historic Sites in Nova Scotia 1974 establishments in Nova Scotia